Large‐scale land acquisitions and institutions: Patterns, influence and barriers in Zambia

Large‐scale land acquisitions (LaSLAs) have been a common feature of neoliberal transformation in which state entities facilitate foreign investments; yet the related governance dynamics remain poorly understood. This paper combines policy analysis and interview data to investigate governance dynamics of LaSLAs and analyses competing authority and power relations among national actors mediating land access for the case of Zambia. Our findings show that corporate interests, donor and regional support drive LaSLAs, but national factors predominate. While possibilities for LaSLAs are created by state institutions, the state agencies seeking to administer land‐based resources also limit their potential through competing authority and agendas. The demand for land and water, accompanied by government and donor resources, heightens tensions among state entities over decision‐making and creation of new frontiers of resource control. By focusing on state and non‐state actors and their articulation in LaSLAs, our study shows that the top‐down nature of governance of land, labour and water resources is problematic for long‐term sustainable agriculture and rural development. The paper highlights the importance of state entities and their control, legal extensions and governance practices in relation to local subjects in delivering LaSLAs and facilitating the emergence of a more locally rooted agro‐vision for agriculture for sustainable and socially just rural development.