Experiences from land owners show that land-based investment has a significant impact on many communities in Ghana. In most cases, these impacts are less than favorable to the indigents of the local communities.

This is particularly concerning because for many small holder farmers, access to arable land is their only source of livelihood. When they lose access to their lands, poverty levels in these affected communities worsen.

To help minimize the negative effects of land-based investments, COLANDEF worked with local and international stakeholders in the Land Sector to produce guidebooks to guide communities, the government, and investors involved in the land acquisition process.

Indeed, we realize that simply creating the guidebooks for stakeholders is not enough to reduce the adverse impact of land-based investment in Ghana. To create effective change, these stakeholders (especially the local land users) would have to be empowered to understand and use these guidebooks.

This is why on the 7th and 8th of August 2019, we will be partnering with STAR Ghana to organize a workshop designed to build the capacities of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Customary Land Secretariats (CLS) in Ghana for them to effectively utilize these guidebooks when managing land based investments across the country.