Privatization of Wetlands; Re- Defining Rural Livelihoods and Food
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Privatization of wetlands; re- defining rural livelihoods and food Privatization and land acquisitions in the wetlands of eastern Uganda 4-4-2014 Siri Pisters i ii Privatization of wetlands; re-defining rural livelihoods Privatization and land acquisitions in the wetlands of eastern Uganda Siri Pisters 900612653070 [email protected] Msc Thesis Development and Rural Innovation Studies RDS- 80430 Supervisor: Dr. P.G.M. Hebinck Department of Rural Development Sociology Wageningen University iii TABLE OF CONTENT TABLE OF CONTENT IV ILLUSTRATIONS VI LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS VII PREFACE IX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XI SUMMARY XII 1. TOWARDS A RESEARCH PROBLEM 1 1.1. LAND AND WATER RIGHTS, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRIVATIZATION 4 1.1.1. Discourse analysis and the power of a dominant discourse on land 6 1.2. RE-DEFINING RURAL LIVELIHOODS AND FOOD 7 1.2.1. Rural livelihoods, autonomy and Food Sovereignty 7 1.2.2. de-peasantization 8 1.3. ACTORS, KNOWLEDGE AND POWER 9 1.4. PROBLEM STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTION 11 1.5. METHODS 12 1.5.1. Introduction to the cases 12 1.5.2. Data collection 15 1.5.3. Thesis Organization 18 2. IRRIGATION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 20 2.1. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 20 2.1.1. Overview sub-Saharan Irrigation developments 22 2.1.2. History and development of agriculture and irrigation in uganda 30 2.2. ANALYTICAL CONTRIBUTIONS 31 2.2.1. Irrigation as ‘Privileged’ solution 31 2.2.2. Land acquisition, land policy and the management of irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa 32 2.2.3. A ‘quest for control’? 34 3. POLICIES AND GOVERNMENT 36 3.1 HOW AFRICAN FARMLANDS BECAME A COMMODITY; A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 36 3.1.1. “Property” in colonial times 36 3.1.2. Post-Independence 38 3.1.3. The 1990’s and beyond 39 3.2. POLICIES IN UGANDA INFLUENCING AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENTS AND LAND APPROPRIATION 41 3.2.1. Liberalization and privatization reforms 41 3.2.2. Uganda’s ‘quasi market approach’ and agricultural investments 42 3.2.3. Wetland Policy and management 43 3.2.4. Asians in Uganda 46 3.3. NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN LAND ACQUISITIONS IN UGANDA 48 3.3.1. Cases reported by NGO’s and researchers 48 3.3.2. Thesis case studies: Kibimba, Naigombwa and Doho 51 4. IMPACTS OF IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT ON LOCAL PEOPLES’ LIVELIHOOD AND THE PROPERTIES OF RICE 57 iv 4.1. KIBIMBA RICE IRRIGATION SCHEME – TILDA UGANDA LTD. 58 4.1.1. Impacts of the creation of the irrigation scheme 59 4.1.2. Contract farming under the private venture 61 4.1.3. Working conditions and its influences on rural livelihoods 63 4.1.4. Rice growing developments 65 4.2. THE NAIGOMBWA SWAMP 66 4.2.1. Farmers’ perspective on the Land Acquisition 66 4.2.2. Contract farming: ‘Sharecropping’ 71 4.2.3. Labor and employment creation 73 4.2.4. Rice growing developments and practices 74 4.3. DOHO RICE IRRIGATION SCHEME, ‘THE MOTHER OF BUTALEJA' 76 4.3.1. Structure and creation of the scheme 76 4.3.2. Land and water acquisition, Land tenure and titles 78 4.3.3. Rice growing developments 80 4.3.4. Managing the scheme 83 4.3.5. Privatization of Doho? 87 4.4. RURAL LIVELIHOODS AT DOHO COMPARED TO IRRIGATION ON PRIVATIZED LANDS 89 5. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION 91 5.1 PRIVATIZATION AND LAND ACQUISITIONS 91 5.2 RE-DEFINING RURAL LIVELIHOODS 92 5.3. RE-DEFINING FOOD 93 5.3. DISCUSSION 95 5.3.1. Future developments and scenario’s 95 5.3.2. Challenging dominant views 96 REFERENCES 102 v ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURE 1, ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................... 4 FIGURE 2, ONE OF THE CONTRACTS OF THE LAND SALES ..................................................................... 55 FIGURE 3, THE DAM OF THE KIBIMBA RICE IRRIGATION SCHEME ...................................................... 58 FIGURE 4, TILDA RICE SOLD IN SUPERMARKETS, LOCAL RIGTHS SOLD AT MARKET PLACE ........ 66 FIGURE 5, MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AT DRS AT TIME OF RESEARCH .............................................. 77 MAP 1, LOCALITY MAP, ILLUSTRATING THE REGION IN WHICH THE THREE CASE STUDIES OF THE THESIS ARE LOCATED ..................................................................................................................... 12 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BADEA: Arab Bank for African Economic Development CBO: Community Based Organization DORSEFA: Doho Rice Scheme Farmers Association DRS: Doho Rice Irrigation Scheme EDF: European Development Fund EPRDF: Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front FAC: Co-operation Aid Fund FAO: Food and Agricultural Organization FDI: Foreign Direct Investment FoEI: Friends of the Earth International GDP: Gross Domestic Product GFCC: Gannet Fleming Corddry Carpenter GoU: Government of Uganda IDA: International Development Association of the World Bank IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development IIED: International Institution for Environmental Development IMT: Irrigation Management Transfer IRIN: Integrated Regional Information Network IRRI: International Rice Research Institute JICA: Japan International Cooperation Agency KISACS: Kibimba Savings and Credit Scheme LC: Local Councilor (LC1: village, LC2, parish, LC 3, sub-county, LC4 county, LC5 district) LRAN: Land Research Action Network MWLE: Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment MV: modern (seed) varieties NAADS: National Agricultural Advisory Services NAPE: National Association of Professional Environmentalists NDP: National Development Plan NEMA: National Environmental Management Authority NERICA: New Rice for Africa NGO: Non- Governmental Organization vii NIB: National Irrigation Board NWP: National Wetlands Conservation and Management Program OC: officer in charge OIC: Organization of Islamic Countries PEAP: Poverty Eradication Action Plan PIU: Provincial Irrigation Unit PIV: Périmetres irrigués villageois (village irrigation parameters) PLA: Platform for labor action RDC: Regional District Commissioner SAED: Société d’Aménagement et d’Exploitation des terres du Delta Fleuve Sénégal UAE: United Arab Emirates UIA: Uganda Investment Authority ULA: Uganda Land Alliance UNDP: United National Development Program URA: Uganda Revenue Authority USAID: US Agency for International Development VODP: Vegetable Oil Development Project WBG: World Bank Group WID: Wetlands Inspection Department WMD: Wetlands Management Department WSSP: Wetland Sector Strategic Plan WTO: World Trade Organization viii PREFACE My background in nutrition studies combined with an interest in the more political, social and economic aspects of food and food production have led me to the wetlands of eastern Uganda to study the rural sociology of rice production. During the process I have come to realize the complexity and multi- facetted nature of the production of food in a globalized and neo-liberal oriented system. In critically analyzing current processes of privatization and land acquisitions for the commercial production of rice, in the wetlands and irrigation in eastern Uganda, this thesis touches upon the problematic of our current food system and the discussion on its future and potential alternatives. This problematic should be tackled as a socio-technical problem which requires interdisciplinary research recognizing the complex interactions between the social, political, economic and ecological aspects of the problem and the various actors involved. ix x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The process of writing this thesis has learned me that things will sometimes take more time than I wish them to take and that no process can ever be forced. I have experienced that sometimes things will cross your path that might at first seem an obstacle to what you wish to achieve, or to the process or work that you are currently involved in. I have now, at the end of my thesis process, come to the point where I have realized that it might have been just the combination of the thesis process and the perceived ‘obstacles’ that came along, that have learned me a whole lot more about myself, my pitfalls and my strengths. Most importantly, experiencing that lacking a sense of control, does not mean that things will not work out. By having taken the time and space needed, this thesis has eventually rather unfolded itself, in the moments that I was able to surrender more to the process, rather than trying to rigidly control this analytical process. Therefore I would like to thank the people that have supported me in this process. I want to sincerely thank my supervisor, Paul Hebinck, for having given me this time and space and for not putting any pressure on me, while stirring the process in the right directions at the right times, showing confidence and most of all, bringing lively inputs and enthusiasm into the process. Thanks to IITA, for having supported me with the fieldwork in Uganda and for their analytical inputs and kind, comforting support and patience. Special thanks to Sylivia and Antony for our team work! Thanks for the Netherlands Embassy in Kampala, for having given me the time to organize and conduct this fieldwork within my internship and for having helped me initiating the first contacts that catalyzed this research. Thanks to all those people who were willing to let me interview them. In the writing process, I felt like I was partly writing this thesis for them too. I hope I have given them a voice and have been able to present an honest picture of the situations described in this thesis. I have been grateful for my friends and family, ever so supporting, showing interest, even though some of them might not have had a clue of what I was writing about. Thanks to my dear boyfriend, for simply being there, listen and putting in some relativity now and then. Thanks to all my fellow students of the MDR master program, who have showed me that passion for life, nature and human kind can translate itself into new, confronting, lively, interesting, valuable scientific research. May our work be tiny little contributions to a world in which life, of all kinds, is honored, appreciated and respected. xi SUMMARY This thesis examines the processes that favour land acquisitions for irrigation purposes in the wetlands of eastern Uganda. Conditions that have facilitated land acquisitions have been explored.