Liberia is on the cusp of passing a historic law that would strengthen the rights of rural communities to land on which they have lived and worked for generations - much of which has recently been acquired by large-scale commercial acquisitions. The legislature should adopt the Land Rights Act before it goes on recess by August 30.
Land in Liberia is in high demand from foreign and national investors, particularly for palm oil plantations, mines, and timber concessions. According to the World Bank, 1.6 million hectares - that's almost 2 million football fields - of land in Liberia was sold, leased, or licensed to commercial investors between 2004 and 2009, often with little or no consultation with those directly affected. Many disputes have not only ended up in the courts, but in violence between those who live on the land and investors.
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