Illovo Newsbrief | 19 March 2014
Illovo Sugar Limited Launches its Group Guidelines on Land and Land Rights
Illovo Sugar Limited is pleased to announce the launch of its Group Guidelines on Land and Land Rights.
These Guidelines, formulated in consultation with local and international experts on land matters, complement our Strategic Intent which encapsulates our aim to be welcomed in the communities in which we operate and without whose support our businesses would not be sustainable. The Guidelines also complement our Group Code of Conduct and Business Ethics which embodies our commitment to respecting internationally recognised human rights and to adopt policies and practices to protect against human rights abuses, including land rights.
Illovo is committed to the implementation of the principles contained in these Guidelines through various initiatives which will be implemented through a phased approach. Using the benefit of our long-term experience as a major land user on the African continent, and with the assistance of other key stakeholders, including representatives of the local communities in which we operate, local government and non-governmental organisations, we have embarked upon a process of identifying the key land-related issues and prioritising initiatives to address these.
Our progress thus far
We have identified the following key projects, which we will implement over the next year:-
Mozambique
In Mozambique, we have introduced an initiative to examine land rights and land registration in the area surrounding our Maragra operation comprehensively. This initiative forms part of a larger process to develop a detailed set of development guidelines and principles which will be implemented in relation to this and other new smallholder land development, and includes:-
- the use of technology to measure, register and verify ownership of every plot of land , regardless of size; and
- focus on civic education, social mobilisation and capacity building initiatives to assist community members to make informed decisions about their land, livelihoods and future.
The project is being piloted through a multi-stakeholder forum which includes representatives of all key stakeholders and development partners.
Malawi
To further our commitment to introduce measures that will assist in the resolution of disputes involving
- competing land rights claims, we have initiated a multi-stakeholder engagement process to resolve the current on-going land conflicts amongst outgrowers and community members in the Dwangwa area, which includes primarily representatives of the local communities, outgrower organisations, and
- the government, together with land experts, development partners and international NGOs to assist the communities in reaching a fair and equitable solution for all parties.
In addition to the stakeholder engagement process, the initiative includes independent land surveys and processes to support income generating opportunities, social development and food security.