From global observatories to fostering transparency at national level and informed local decision making

Decentralising the Land Matrix

Ward Anseeuw, Peter Messerli, Michael Taylor, Markus Giger

• Open data: Making the data visible and understandable

• Transparency in decision-making over land and investment, as a step towards greater accountability

• Public participation in building a constantly evolving database on large-scale land deals

Launched in April 2012 – World Bank Land and Poverty Conference

PROMOTING…

* Global database for monitoring of land deals

* Information on investor (origin, type), deal (production intention, size), target region (former land use), & attempt to capture dynamics (Negotiation status, Implementation status)

* Sourcing: - Data entry/checking through LM partners/networks based on

research/policy reports, official government records, company websites, media reports and personal information

- Crowd sourcing

A global database…

South

Sud

anDRC

Liber

ia

Sierr

a Leo

ne

Mad

agas

car

Mor

occo

Zimba

bwe

Gabon

Mal

i

Tanza

nia

0

2000000

4000000

0

40

80

• DATA- Data availability and reliability remain problematic – dynamic (status of deals), specificities of countries

- Processes

• POLICY - Transparency / accountability- National jurisdictions

Need/necessity to decentralise

CHALLENGES

TOWARDS OPEN SOURCE…- Support the establishment of Land Observatories that

concentrate on a specific area of interest (geographical/Thematic)

LM Open Data/source …- Promotion of use/participation to dataBut also- Adapt software and approach to support infra-global

initiatives: All data AND software available for anyone to use, for any purpose

Twin goals:- Improving the quality and inclusiveness with regards the data- Involving stakeholders in the dialogue and decision-making processes through active participation

ParticipationOwnership

Land Matrix InitiativeLand Matrix

Global Observatory

LPI Observatory

Madagascar …

Thematic

Rangelands Observatory …

Land Observatories• Each Observatory – Independent, managed by own interest

group• Based on multi-stakeholder platforms

Software• Adapted to local needs

Land Matrix Global Observatory• LM partnership provides development support, linking to the

global database

Context matters for LSLAs

Conceptualizing a contextual knowledge platform

Who?(Multiple stakeholders

across scales and distance)

What?(Flows of capital, goods,

information)

Where?(Places, areas, etc.)

Investments into rubber

A Village

I

Jatrohpa

G Protected area

High poverty

Land Observatory Where-what-who?

What-who-where?Land Observatory

Collect and share knowledge

Knowledge platform

Decision making in

policy and practice

Lessons learnt

No technical without social innovation

“Synchronisation” is challenging: in-depth vs. shallow information

Socio-political conditions determine involvement of actors

National ownership vs. cross-scale connectedness

From observatories on territories to observatories on types of areas (rangelands) and types of flows (LSLAs, conservation, PES… )

Conclusions

3. Moving forward - the Land Matrix Initiative

Linking patterns with processes of LSLA

Complementing the Global Observatory with contextual observatories, open software and data, crowdsourcing

2. Contextualising land observatories

Establishing links between flows, actors, and places

Focusing on competing claims, trade-offs, equity

1. Goal: more effective land governance

Land institutions need to be congruent with land processes

Land processes: from territory to flows

http://www.landmatrix.org