Curbing land corruption: an African prerequisite for free trade Focus on Madagascar’s case

Context and background: The existence, survival and continuity of a number of income-generating activities (farming, mining, etc.) depend on land, making it an important lever for a country's development. However, if land is not properly managed and governed, this can leave the door wide open to various forms of embezzlement, including corruption. Corruption is well known to have a deleterious effect on its victims, and when it affects land tenure and access to land, it can affect more than just a country's economy. It can at the first time undermines a country's ability to trade properly with its neighbors, and hindering the continent's ability to fully harness the benefits of free trade agreements as well. Goal and objectives: In the context of Africa's commitment to promoting industrial development through the development of agriculture and food security, it is vital to talk about issues that could hinder these developments, and more specifically the reaching of the Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area implementation. In this instance, the aim is to talk about land corruption. Readers will be led to reflect into the critical role of addressing and eradicating land corruption as a fundamental prerequisite for the successful implementation of free trade initiatives in Africa, but also to facilitate sustainable economic growth and harmonious regional integration. Methodology: This paper offers a broad panorama of negative impacts of land corruption in Africa, and will be based on the experience and lessons of anti-corruption strategies deployed on the land sector in Madagascar. Through an in-depth analysis of the existing challenges, far-reaching consequences, and potential solutions, this work elucidates the paramount importance of curbing land corruption to foster sustainable economic growth, regional integration across the continent and African Continental Free Trade Area’s swift and sustainable implementation. Results: How does corruption affect the land tenure system? What impact does it have? Why and how is it incompatible with the objectives of the African continental free trade area? What can be done to tackle it, based on experience from Madagascar and extended to the African context? This paper gives inputs to those burning questions.

背景与研究缘起：诸多创收活动（农业、矿业等）的存续与发展均以土地为依托，因此土地是推动国家发展的重要抓手。但若土地管理与治理失范，便会为各类贪污舞弊行为（包括腐败）大开方便之门。众所周知，腐败会对受害者造成有害影响，而当其波及土地保有权（land tenure）与土地获取渠道时，其危害绝非仅局限于国家经济层面。其一，它会削弱一国与邻国开展正常贸易的能力；其二，也会阻碍非洲大陆充分释放自由贸易协定的政策红利。
研究目标与宗旨：在非洲承诺通过发展农业与保障粮食安全推动工业化发展的背景下，探讨掣肘上述发展目标实现的各类因素尤为关键，其中尤以阻碍非洲大陆自由贸易区（African Continental Free Trade Area）加速落地的因素为甚。本研究聚焦土地腐败问题，旨在引导读者反思：整治并根除土地腐败，既是非洲成功落实自由贸易举措的核心前提，亦是推动可持续经济增长与实现区域和谐一体化的必要条件。
研究方法：本文全面梳理了非洲土地腐败所产生的负面影响，并将以马达加斯加（Madagascar）土地领域反腐败战略的实践经验与教训为研究基础。通过深入剖析现存挑战、深远影响及潜在解决方案，本文阐明了遏制土地腐败对于推动可持续经济增长、实现非洲大陆区域一体化以及助力非洲大陆自由贸易区快速且可持续落地的极端重要性。
研究成果：本文针对以下核心问题给出系统性解答：腐败如何作用于土地保有权制度？其具体影响路径与后果为何？为何土地腐败与非洲大陆自由贸易区的目标相悖，且具体如何相悖？结合马达加斯加的实践经验并推广至非洲整体语境，我们应如何有效应对土地腐败问题？