34
We have attempted to desegregate these data by sector to illustrate to whom much of
Mozambique's agricultural, arable, and total land area has been granted in concessions. We
know that many of these concessions overlap (as discussed below). Nonetheless, we are able
to make reasonable projections. The area granted for agricultural concessions at both levels
of government73 represents 28 percent of all agricultural land (18 million hectares). This is
illustrated in diagram 4. Diagram 5 represents the available and unconfirmed recorded data
for agricultural, hunting, and forestry concessions as a percentage of total agricultural
land. 74 This represents 41 percent of all agricultural land. When we add the minimum
estimated area currently held by private agricultural enterprises 75 and the estimated area
divested by the state farm sector, 76 the total area granted by government for agriculture
(including hunting, grazing, and forestry)" represents 45 percent of agricultural land and
23 percent of all arable land (36 million hectares) in the country. 78 These relationships are
illustrated in diagrams 6 and 7.
Diagram 8 portrays available data for all concessions, 40.8 million hectares, including
mining, 79 tourism, SO and other multiple-use concessions, 91 in relation to total arable land.
These concessions represent more than 113 percent of total arable land and 51 percent of the
country's total land area. 82 This last relationship is illustrated in diagram 9.
Land concessions are creating land shortages in numerous locations, many of which are
also the most densely populated and strategically economic in Mozambique. One wonders
what the impact of such trends will be on investment, productivity, political stability,
democratization, and the environment. If our data on concessions are accurate, then in
addition to weak land-tenure and land-administration systems there is a potentially serious
problem regarding land availability and scarcity in Mozambique. This predicament has the
potential of becoming much more serious as recipients of concessions occupy land and assert
their rights.
73. Area granted encompasses 4,990,000 hectares (792,000 MOA concessions; 606,000 provincial
concessions; 2,092,000 joint-venture concessions; 1,500,000 unconfirmed MOA and provincial concessions).
74. Area conceded covers 7,337,000 hectares (4,990,000 agriculture; 597,000 hunting; 250,000 estimated
hunting; and 1,500,000 estimated forestry concessions).
75. Estimated at 500,000 hectares.
76. Estimated at 400,000 hectares.
77. The total for agriculture is 8,237,000 hectares.
78. Arable land as designated by government includes all grazing and agricultural land, forestry land
(including natural forests and reserves), and unexploited or unproductive savanna.
79. Consists of 11,194,000 hectares.
80. Minimum estimate of 350,000 hectares.
81. One concession to Heaven on Earth is for 20,000,000 hectares. It is likely that there have been other
such grants. The multinational organization Pidico is rumored to have received a large multipurpose concession
covering thousands of hectares (see New Era 1994, p. 32). To our knowledge, none of these massive concessions
is registered or the information made public.
82. As noted above, the total land area is approximately 79.5 million hectares, which include all land,
streams, mountains, swamps, and other ecologically fragile zones.