Background
The Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian Studies (SMAIAS) was formed in 2003. It is registered as a Trust. Its geographic focal areas are the District, Provincial, National, and Regional (Africa) levels. The Founder(s) and Board of Trustees set the vision and mission for the organisation. To achieve its mission, the institute
- does knowledge generation/research,
- policy analysis and advocacy,
- convening/dialogue(s),
- mobilisation/movement building, and
- collaboration/partnership.
Policies in place in the organisation are the Human Resources and Staff Development, Gender and Sexual Harassment, Conflict of Interest policies. The organisation carries out annual external audits.
Organisational Structure
The Institute is led by the Board of Trustees/Directors. It has an Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Finance Director/Manager, Accountant, Program/Projects Officer(s)/Manager, Program Assistants, and Research Fellows.
Organisational Intervention
The strategy of the Institute is set by the internal team, management, and an external consultant. It focuses on Inequality, Gender and Women’s rights, Rural Development, and Education.
1. Inequality
Under inequality, focus is on:
- research, advocacy for improved access, and development of alternative policy options and models for inclusive agrarian reforms
- research and advocacy for improved land tenure regimes in Zimbabwe and across Africa
- research and advocacy for improved access on drivers of Inequality
2. Rural Development
Under inequality, focus is on:
- Research, advocacy for improved access, and development of alternative policy options and models on land reforms, agrarian reforms, rural livelihoods, rural associations, enhancing participation in local/national processes, and movement building.
Knowledge product generation and Research
In the past three years, SMAIAS produced between more than ten monographs, policy briefs/insights, reports, and books. It also produced journal articles, book chapters, and blogs over the period under discussion. The institute published research papers and book chapters on land tenure, agrarian issues, and inclusive development. Research is carried by the internal team and occasionally they hire part time consultants to complement the team. The research includes desktop research, field surveys, and policy research. To disseminate its research, the Institute uses its website, official launches, and circulation through email list servers. Other means used to disseminate research in the past three years include workshops and public meetings. The organisation actively engaged NGOs, embassies, business sector, government, political parties, donor agencies, and general citizens through policy dialogues. The organisation’s leadership also contributed to public debates by participating in radio and TV interviews. The Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian Studies carries out policy advocacy, seeking to influence policy change at a Pan Africa level. These advocacy actions entail preparation of policy briefs to support policy positions, engagements with policy makers, and mobilising network(s) seeking policy change. The Executive Director/CEO and a network member are responsible for advocacy within the organisation.
Constituency and Movement Building, and Collaboration
The work of SMAIAS benefits
- local community,
- social movements,
- government departments,
- think tanks with technical expertise,
- the academia, for example, PhD students and other postgraduates, and
- farmers as a special interest community.
Benefits include training support, use of evidence generate by the Institute for policy advocacy, leveraging on the Institute’s name to enhance their interventions, approaching the Institute to prepare alternative policy positions, use of the Institute’s online materials in developing their programs. The beneficiaries contributed to the strategy of the Institute or focus areas by participating in the strategy making process and getting involved in mapping the problems the organisation focuses on. The Institute collaborates with local NGOs, government departments, and multilateral agencies (e.g. UN agencies) in jointly implementing similar projects, providing research-based evidence to advocacy focused partners, and providing technical assistance. The Institute is part of a network focusing on similar issues, engaging other organisations at the regional level. As a result, the Institute’s work has become more visible, its effectiveness enhanced, and it has had access to vital platforms and information.
Measure of effectiveness
The impact of SMAIASs’ work is measured by consultants and the organisation’s management, as well as the research team that does ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The effectiveness of interventions is measured through ongoing internal monitoring. Documented evidence of the impact of the work of the Institute is in external reports citing the Institute’s work, written/recorded affirmation by beneficiaries, and independent evaluation reports. The Institute gets more than 50 visitors from within Zimbabwe, more than 30 from SADC, more than 10 from West Africa, more than 10 from East Africa, more than seven from Central Africa, and more than four from North Africa, and more than 20 from the international (global) region. The institute engages the media through radio features and newspapers.
Financial Sustainability
The annual budget for SMAIAS is US$600,000. The distribution of the budget is such that 65% goes towards programs/projects while 35% meets institutional (administration costs). The Institute funds its own work through fundraising and consultancy income, getting 99% through fundraising and only 1% from consultancy income. The Institute has a finance/funding strategy and owns immovable assets/property in the land and buildings worth US$200,000. If it runs out of funding, the Institute will focus more on consultancy work, cut the number of staff compliment (interns and support staff), engage in donor mapping, and lease out part of the office space.
External Environment
Factors that mostly affect the work of the Institute include the economic situation, funding situation, information technology, limited number of collaborating partners, and local government practices. To respond to changes in the environment, the Institute adheres to the changing environment, particularly within the Ministries they closely work with.
Publications
| Research surveys, publications/ journal articles/ Policy papers | Reclaiming Africa: Scramble and Resistance in the 21st Century
Multi-National Working Group Book on Land Question. Beyond White Settler Capitalism: Land and Agrarian Reform in Zimbabwe, Dakar: Codesria, 2013 Reclaiming the nation: The return of the national question in Africa, Asia and Latin America The Agrarian Question in the Neoliberal Era: Primitive Accumulation and the Peasantry Land and Sustainable Development in Africa Recuperando La Tierra: El resurgimiento de movimientos rurales en A`frica, Asia y Ame`rica Latina Contested Terrain: Land Reform and Civil Society in Contemporary Zimbabwe The National Question Today in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Pluto forthcoming. Reclaiming the Land: The Resurgence of Rural Movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America Peasant Organisations and Democratisation in Africa Family Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. In, J, Griffiths (eds.), Deep Roots Changing agrarian relations after redistributive land reform in Zimbabwe. In, S. Moyo & W. Chambati (eds.), Land and Agrarian Reform in Zimbabwe: Beyond White Settler Capitalism Land tenure after land reform in Zimbabwe. Paper prepared for ZiLAN Interrogating Sustainable Development &Resource Control in Zimbabwe. In, K.S. Amanor, & S. Moyo (eds.), Land and Sustainable Development in Africa Farm workers: The abandoned question, Book chapter in contested terrain: contemporary civil society and land reform in Zimbabwe. An Abandoned Question: Farm Workers. In, S. Moyo, K. Helliker and T. Murisa (eds.), Contested Terrain: Civil Society and Land Reform in Contemporary Zimbabwe The Resurgence of Rural Movements under Neoliberalism. In, S. Moyo & P. Yeros (eds.), Reclaiming the Land: the Resurgence of Rural Movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America |
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| Books and Book Chapters | Reclaiming Africa: Scramble and Resistance in the 21st Century
Multi-National Working Group Book on Land Question. Beyond White Settler Capitalism: Land and Agrarian Reform in Zimbabwe Reclaiming the nation: The return of the national question in Africa, Asia and Latin America The Agrarian Question in the Neoliberal Era: Primitive Accumulation and the Peasantry Land and Sustainable Development in Africa Recuperando La Tierra: El resurgimiento de movimientos rurales en A`frica, Asia y Ame`rica Latina Contested Terrain: Land Reform and Civil Society in Contemporary Zimbabwe The National Question Today in Africa, Asia and Latin America Reclaiming the Land: The Resurgence of Rural Movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America Peasant Organisations and Democratisation in Africa Changing agrarian relations after redistributive land reform in Zimbabwe. In, S. Moyo & W. Chambati (eds.), Land and Agrarian Reform in Zimbabwe: Beyond White Settler Capitalism (pp. 195–250) Land tenure after land reform in Zimbabwe. Paper prepared for ZiLAN. Interrogating Sustainable Development & Resource Control in Zimbabwe. In Land and Sustainable Development in Africa Farm workers: The abandoned question, Book chapter in contested terrain: contemporary civil society and land reform in Zimbabwe. The Resurgence of Rural Movements under Neoliberalism. In, S. Moyo & P. Yeros (eds.), Reclaiming the Land: the Resurgence of Rural Movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America |
| Policy Briefs | Contract farming and peasant livelihoods: The Case of sugar outgrower schemes in Manhica District, Mozambique
Locating the Position of Peasants under the “New Dispensation”: A Focus on Land Tenure Issues Contract farming arrangement and poor resourced farmers in Zimbabwe Assessing the Alliance for Green revolution in Africa (AGRA) Food Consumption, Production and Trade in Southern Africa. A Policy Brief prepared for OSISA Transforming African Agriculture through Small Scale Farming Land Reform, African Development, Small Scale Farming and Poverty Eradication: Lessons from Africa Who will feed the poor? The Future of Food Security for Southern Africa. A Policy Brief prepared for the SAT nvestemnt and Productivity Prospects in the A2 Resetllement Areas Financing Leasehold Agriculture Land Information Systems: Technological Support in Surveying Land Administration in Zimbabwe A General Overview of the Legal Aspects of Leasehold, Conveyancing and Land Transfers Conceptual Frameworks around Land Tenure A Gendered Perspective on Land Tenure National Livestock Recovery Strategies Agriculture Marketing in the Context of the New Agrarian Structure Women and Access to Land in the Context of the Fast Track LandReform Programme Land Tenure in the Post FTLRP Zimbabwe: Key Strategic Policy Development Issues The Urban Housing Question in the Context of Operation Murambatsvina and Operation Garikayi/Hlalani Kuhle Food Security in the Context of the Fast Track Land Reform Agricultural Labour Markets and Farm Worker Support in the Post FTLRP period Zimbabwe’s Resettlement Areas Wildlife Conservation Policy in the Context of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme Irrigation and Water Resources The War Veterans Movement: Historical Origins, Development an Linkages Investemnt and Productivity Prospects in the A2 Resetllement Areas |
| Monographs | Land Use, Agricultural Production and Food Security in Zimbabwe, 2013/14
IFFs in the Agricultural Sector in Zimbabwe Farmers’ lived experiences in tobacco marketing in Zimbabwe International companies and contract farmers after Fast Track Land Reform Programme in Zimbabwe Constitutional provisions regarding women’s land rights and related empowerment - Paper prepared for the Zimbabwe Land and Agrarian Network (ZiLAN) under the Women Land Rights jointly managed by AIAS and Women and Land in Zimbabwe Securing land rights for farm workers Land Use, Agricultural Production and Food Security survey in Zimbabwe, 2013/14 Financing inputs and subsidies in Zimbabwe Rural Agro-Dealership Market Linkage Study 2013/14 Changing agrarian markets in Zimbabwe following the Fast Track Land Reform Programme. Paper prepared for ZiLAN. Social organization of newly resettled households and opportunities for NGO advocacy. Paper prepared for the ZiLAN. Mapping of women’s organisations and the regulatory environment, Paper developed for ZiLAN. Fast Track Land Reform Baseline Survey in Zimbabwe: Trends and Tendencies Changing agrarian labour markets in Zimbabwe’s newly resettled areas. Harare AIAS monograph. Emerging land tenure issues in Zimbabwe Land redistribution, tenure and use under fast track: social and structural change in Zvimba District newly resettled areas. Zimbabwe’s Land reform: the way forward Land and agrarian reform in Zimbabwe: Key issues and potentials for E.U. partnership MThe overall impact of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme Agricultural Production patterns with special reference to Coffee and Cotton Impacts of Land Reform on Farm Workers and Farm Labour Processes Farm Sizes, Decongestion nd Land Use: Implications of the Fast-Track Land Redistribution Programme in Zimbabwe Natural Resources and Land Reform |
| Blogs/ Vlogs/ Newsletters | Towards a Better Understanding of the Trimodal Agrarian Structure |
| Reports (e.g. annual, bi-annual, quarterly) | |
| Dialogues (No.) | First Sam Moyo Memorial Lecture
Second Sam Moyo Memorial Lecture |
| Training (including training manuals) | Agrarian Studies Summer School
Agrarian Studies Training Institute Designing and implementing Redistributive land reform: the southern African experience. Paper presented at a WB/SADC/SARPN Regional course on land redistribution workshop. 12 July 2007. History and role of social movements. Paper presented at a WB/SADC/SARPN Regional course on land redistribution workshop. 12 July 2007. Introduction to Social Policy Analysis- Prepared for the NANGO(ZW) course on Policy Analysis Guidelines to writing a Policy Issue Paper- Prepared for the NANGO (ZW) course on Policy Analysis Towards benchmarks in measuring the success of land reforms- Module prepared for the World Bank Short Course on Land Reforms in Africa Needs and Prospects for Land Reform- Module prepared for the World Bank Course on Land Reforms in Africa Development Theories, Strategies and Issues; Module prepared for the CPIA Regional Youth Training in Peace Building in Africa The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and Relevance for Rural Development; Module prepared for the SMAIAS short course on Land and Agrarian Policy Analysis Approaches to Analysing the Land Reform Institutional Framework; Module prepared for the SMAIAS short course on Land and Agrarian Policy Analysis |