Seeds of Resistance, Harvests of Hope: Farmers halt a land grab in Mozambique

Founding members of the new Tsakane Farmers Association in Xai-Xai, Mozambique, where they have applied for their own land after resisting a large-scale rice plantation. (Credit: Justiça Ambiental)

Originally Published on Food Tank, Friday, October 26, 2018

(also available in Portuguese)

On July 26, 2018, farmers in Xai-Xai, Mozambique, achieved a milestone. They met to formalize their new farmers’ association, elect leaders, and prepare a petition to the local government for land. The association, christened Tsakane, which means “happy” in the local Changana language, was the culmination of six years of resistance to a Chinese land grab that had sparked protest and outrage. The association now has a request pending for its own land.