Questioning the narrative of land marginality in large-scale land acquisition deals: case study of Nansanga Farm Block in Zambia

Abstract

The concept of marginal land in large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) has become important to understand land for LSLA deals. Based on remotely gathered geospatial data, the biophysical dimension of the concept dominates the characterization of land for LSLA deals. Little attention is paid to the socio-cultural dimension that represents years of dynamic community–environment interactions as lived experiences that are well structured in traditional knowledge. Informed by participatory appraisal methods in Nansanga farm block, an LSLA deal in Zambia, this study aimed at providing socio-cultural evidence that questions the concept constructed within science-development policy and political spaces. Overall, based on socio-cultural evidence, the findings suggest that Nansanga cannot be discounted as marginal land. In contribution to improving our understanding of human-environment interaction in land-use science, the paper argues for a mix of process-oriented and pattern-based approaches to gain better insights into land use change at spatial and temporal scales.