Non-government organisations working on agriculture-related issues last week launched a plan aimed at protecting the land use rights of the country’s smallholder farmers. The Land Core Group Program Plan, which was in development for nine months, runs until the end of 2014 and “is meant to serve as a framework to guide all agencies and actors seeking to promote pro-poor land reform”, according to the group. It takes a multi-pronged approached to improving conditions for the country’s smallholder farmers, from direct and indirect lobbying of MPs, government agencies and political parties to capacity building among farmers and departmental officials. Read More