iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

🌱 How can academia support civil society organisations achieve land justice? We joined our civil society partners at a workshop on equitable access to land, where they strategised on what they would like "equitable", "access", and "land" to encompass. We'll share more of the outcomes soon! ✊🏾

A group photo of participants at South Africa's civil society workshop on equitable access to land.

000

Reposted by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

🇰🇪🇹🇿 We're looking for PhD candidates to apply for two "Digital Agrarian Futures" scholarships with @crctrr228.bsky.social. If you have the right doctoral topic & can conduct long-term ethnographic research, we want to hear from you. Read more and apply here: shorturl.at/1prwm @uwconline.bsky.social

plaas.org.za

Apply: PhD scholarships: Digital Agrarian Futures project | Plaas

023

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

📢 New seminar! Dr Hamza Hamouchene challenges the deceptive narrative that masks ongoing global relations of neo-colonial domination in Africa just transition. Join us! Mon, 14 Sept 2026 13:00 to 14:00 SAST Register on zoom: shorturl.at/vgeoD Abstract: shorturl.at/RGY8J @tninstitute.bsky.social

010

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Join us for a seminar with Prof. Clemens Greiner from the Univ. of Cologne to explore a case study on geothermal energy and the clean energy dilemma in Kenya. 📅 27 Aug 2026 🕐 13:00 SAST 📍 Jakes Gerwel Hall, UWC / 💻 Zoom Register: uwc.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

000

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Congratulations to PLAAS PhD graduate Charity Rusere on her new role as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the BIOSSCI at the Institute for Economic Justice. 🎉 Dr Rusere will bring her research expertise in agrarian change and rural livelihoods to this project.

010

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

plaas.org.za

Apply: PhD scholarships: Digital Agrarian Futures project | Plaas

023

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

📢 BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION PROFESSIONALS! Apply for our fully funded Living Landscapes: New Thinking on Integrating Biodiversity and Social Justice short course, designed to bring racial and gender justice into conservation. 🗓️ 26-30 October 2026 📍Cape Town, SA plaas.org.za/call-for-app...

plaas.org.za

Call for applications 2026: New Thinking on Integrating Biodiversity and Social Justice short course | Plaas

000

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

“I don’t want to be seated in heaven seeing my grandchildren without land.” 🎥 Watch this new documentary, based on research 25 years after Zimbabwe's controversial land reform programme www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldiT...

youtube.com

TRAVEL FILM:25 years after land reform in Zimbabwe

YouTube video by ZimLandReform

020

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

📢 Applications are now open for our 2027 Postgraduate Diploma in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, the only accredited programme of its kind in South Africa. Learn more and apply: plaas.org.za/postgraduate...

011

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Equitable access to land and spatial justice: The South African Constitutional Court's progressive judgment on Cape Town's Tafelberg property is big news! We congratulate Ndifuna Ukwazi and Reclaim the City for their long struggle to have these rights recognised. shorturl.at/PUEHi #academicsky

shorturl.at

STATEMENT: What the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Tafelberg property means for equitable access to land and spatial justice | Plaas

020

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

PLAAS STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH AFRICAN CITIZENS Through 30 years of our work, PLAAS has learnt that African citizens want the same thing: a safe piece of land with their families to call home, and no one is threatening to take it away from them. plaas.org.za/plaas-stands...

plaas.org.za

PLAAS stands in solidarity with African citizens | Plaas

121

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

PLAAS postdoctoral fellow Boaventura Monjane argues that rural and urban struggles are deeply interconnected. Drawing on case studies of popular resistance ✊🏾, he shows how building solidarity across these spaces can challenge inequality. Read here: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

tandfonline.com

Bridging divides against erratic democratic trajectories: the politics of rural and urban social movements in Southern Africa

This article examines the complex relationship between social and popular movements in Southern Africa across sectors and geographies amid erratic democracy. It analyzes how these sectorial and geo...

010

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

🌊 New research by PLAAS Professors Mafa Hara and Moenieba Isaacs, alongside fellow researchers, used 10 years of data from 34 African countries to map more than 1,000 conflicts involving small-scale fishers. Nearly 75% were linked to access to resources. Read: theconversation.com/disputes-ove...

theconversation.com

Disputes over Africa’s ocean resources: here’s what could help avoid them

As ocean uses expand, it will be necessary to reduce disputes because they disrupt the environmental sustainability and equity central to a blue economy.

010

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

We're on in 30 minutes! Register here for the zoom link if you aren't joining us in person: shorturl.at/Orysm

000

Reposted by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

"Theorising back": join us & Dr Mfundo Mlilo from @unicologne.bsky.social for his seminar, Decolonising tourism development at Victoria Falls. 🗓️ Wed, 3 June 2026 🕐 13:00 – 14:00 SAST 📍 PLAAS seminar room, 2nd Floor, Jakes Gerwel Hall, @uwconline.bsky.social & zoom 📝 Register: shorturl.at/anIQZ

shorturl.at

Seminar: Decolonising tourism development at Victoria Falls: a new evolutionary economic geography perspective with Dr Mfundo Mlilo | Plaas

022

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

What can South Africa learn from Colombia’s land reform? PLAAS researcher Nkanyiso Gumede shares four key insights that can aid South Africa’s #Landreform process, if backed by political will and investment. Read more in this article with Food for Mzansi. www.foodformzansi.co.za/four-lessons...

foodformzansi.co.za

Four lessons from Colombia to fix South Africa’s land reform

As global land concentration rises, South Africa’s reform programme faces mounting pressure to deliver. Plaas researcher Nkanyiso Gumede breaks down

000

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

shorturl.at

Seminar: Decolonising tourism development at Victoria Falls: a new evolutionary economic geography perspective with Dr Mfundo Mlilo | Plaas

022

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Happy Africa Day! 🌍 Join us today at 🕐 13:00–14:00 SAST as we unpack the first-ever global Status of Land Tenure and Governance Report with experts Ward Anseeuw, Dr Stha Yeni & Dr Joan Kagwanja. 📍 Online via Zoom OR In-person: PLAAS Seminar Room Register here: uwc.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

010

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Why does policy progress on #landtenure still fail to deliver change for the marginalised? Join us to discuss on Monday, 25 May 2026 🕐 13:00–14:00 SAST 📍 PLAAS Seminar Room, 2nd Floor, Jakes Gerwel Hall (Main Hall), UWC Register: uwc.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

010

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Can solidarity from history be reimagined for the present geopolitical moment? Join us for our colloquium on Solidarity then & Now, with a panel of experts from Africa & Norway at @uwconline.bsky.social. Bring your toughest questions, & join us for a light lunch. RSVP is necessary: shorturl.at/GS29M

032

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

❗ LIVE Indigenous Peoples and holders of customary tenure rights occupy 5.5 billion ha (42%) of the world’s land; yet only 1 billion ha (8% of global land) are documented with ownership rights. Watch the Status of Land Tenure & Governance report launch here: shorturl.at/kPSKl #ICARRD20 @fao.org

shorturl.at

Status of Land Tenure and Governance (SLTG) | Governance of Tenure | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

001

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

🦶🏾Land tenure is about belonging, identity, cultural values and meanings, grounded in distinct ways of knowing. Yet implementing policies on land tenure and governance lags. 💻 Stream: Status of Land Tenure and Governance report launch: shorturl.at/kPSKl @fao.org @uwconline.bsky.social #ICARRD20

000

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

The 2nd Int'l Academic Conference Land, Life & Society at University of Cartagena, Colombia, starts with the Cape Town Declaration, written at the 1st Int'l Academic Conference: Land, Life & Society at @uwconline.bsky.social in 2025. 📃ENG, SPA, FRA & POR: shorturl.at/zoFP2 #ICARRD20

012

Reposted by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

Ruth Hall @ruthhallplaas.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Watch this space: digital agriculture technologies in Africa, accompanied by AI infrastructure, are moving fast across the continent. Who will get the land and water they require, who will own the data, and who will benefit? The next big shift in the poltics of land in Africa is upon us.

011

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

We're heading to the second International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development with @uwconline.bsky.social. The International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty's position paper is exciting! It has 5 proposals and demands - shorturl.at/oims4 #ICARRD20 #AcademicSky

shorturl.at

IPC releases its position paper on agrarian reform for ICARRD+20

The IPC urges governments to move beyond voluntary commitments and adopt binding, measurable actions to ensure redistributive agrarian reform

111

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

7 things to understand about how extraction is affecting African people's land usage, and what drives them: new PLAAS blog by Dr Phillan Zamchiya. #ICARRD20 plaas.org.za/globalised-e...

plaas.org.za

Globalised extractive territorialisation and changing land uses in Africa | Plaas

Author PLAAS View all posts

023

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

📢 Putting land redistribution back on the agenda: As we head to #ICARRD+20, Prof @ianscoones.bsky.social reflects on experiences from very different settings to inform future policies. 🗓️ Wednesday, 11 February 2026 🕐 13:00-14:00 CAT 📍 At PLAAS or online shorturl.at/rDJ1N @uwconline.bsky.social

022

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

👩🏾‍🎓 Welcome to 2026! Our renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies at @uwconline.bsky.social is open for applications. 🗓️ Deadline: 31 January 2026 1️⃣ First semester: 23 February to 13 March 2026 2️⃣ Second semester: 20 July to 7 August 2026 Apply: shorturl.at/Z8p1V #AcademicSky

shorturl.at

Call for 2026 applications: Postgraduate Diploma in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies | Plaas

Author PLAAS View all posts

000

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

📰 In a new @africa.theconversation.com post, a recent journal article citing PLAAS research shows how land reform in South Africa can expand people's economic opportunities outside of farming and into the wildlife economy: shorturl.at/EXgQO Read the journal article: shorturl.at/Zn1CI #AcademicSky

shorturl.at

Land reform in South Africa: how new landholders could prosper from wildlife and not just farming

South Africa needs to track whether beneficiaries of land reform policies are participating in the country’s thriving wildlife economy.

011

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

❗ Last chance to apply: If you're a Professor or Associate Professor looking to lead knowledge in poverty, land, and agrarian studies sectors, PLAAS is looking for you.

000

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

📢 APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON 9 JANUARY 2026 Are you our next Professor? We're looking for a Professor or Associate Professor to join PLAAS at @uwconline.bsky.social! Here's what we're looking for, what you'll do, and where to apply: shorturl.at/5kzkq

011

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

We asked 5 participants from our special Journal of Peasant Studies-PLAAS Africa Writeshop to show us what they're learning about journal publishing during their week with us. What do they want? Community! 🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏾 Watch the intro below, and follow their journeys here: shorturl.at/ZNjDm

010

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

📽️ The slow methodology: our researchers in our Living Landscapes in Action project gather vast empirical data in the areas they work. This film shows how they do it and why it's important for our work on social and spatial justice in conservation and biodiversity. RSVP: forms.gle/8PfzsHrujMRb...

000

Reposted by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

🌱 Protecting nature from what, and for whom? Join us on Wednesday for this beautiful film and important discussion about social and spatial justice in conservation and biodiversity. Screening starts at 17:30 (but come and eat with us at 16:30).

021

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

021

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

🔊 Register online to watch our Land Availability and Land-use Changes in Africa report. Four minutes to go!

000

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

🌍 Africa does not have huge tracts of “vacant” land - a myth used to fuel land grabs, ecological destruction & dispossession. Join us in person or online for our new myth-busting report launch at the Conference on Land Policy in Africa at 15:00 GMT+3: shorturl.at/y0Efa #AFSA @oaklandinstitute.org

014

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Join Dr Lubabalo Mbekeni for a PLAAS academic seminar as he shares insights from his research on the Ebenhaeser community, a case study of how land reform can aid poverty reduction. 📆 Tuesday, 18 November 2025 🕐 13:00–14:00 SAST 📍 PLAAS Seminar Room, UWC 💻 Register: uwc.zoom.us/j/95585116993

030

Reposted by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

African communities are on the frontline of a crisis we did not create. What paths to addressing the climate emergency — rooted in justice, solidarity, and respect for nature — are open to us? Join this Masterclass with @kuminaidoo.bsky.social. Register and find class resources: shorturl.at/aDjdc

021

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

The #PLAAS30 Land, Life and Society conference kicked off yesterday with important keynote addresses and plenaries from experts. Watch the replays here: Plenary 1 Keynotes: shorturl.at/itENF Plenary 2 Politics: shorturl.at/fAclP For information on upcoming plenaries: lnkd.in/ef2Ct_25

000

Reposted by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

University of the Western Cape @uwconline.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

@plaasuwc.bsky.social marked 30 years of scholarship and advocacy with the Land, Life and Society conference — bringing together global experts to explore how land, food, and climate justice can shape a more equitable future. #IAmUWC

021

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

The Land, Life and Society Conference is live! Watch our plenaries via live stream on our YouTube account. This conference will be a marker of a memorable 30 years of PLAAS and a solid road towards ICARRD+20. Thank you for creating it with us. #PLAAS30 www.youtube.com/@PlaasOrgZaUWC

110

Reposted by Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

Ruth Hall @ruthhallplaas.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

What's driving land grabbing in the world today? Our hot-off-the-press open access paper shows land grabbing is now shaped by: 1. geopolitics 2. financialization 3. climate policies We set out why it matters, how people respond, and what's to be done @plaasuwc.bsky.social @tninstitute.bsky.social

tandfonline.com

The ‘return’ of land grabbing?

This introductory paper to the Special Forum on ‘The Return of Land Grabbing’ examines the evolving dynamics of land grabbing. We argue that land grabbing never disappeared but has persisted and tr...

094

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

021

Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies @plaasuwc.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Two days to go until the Journal of Peasant Studies Africa Writeshop ahead of our 30th anniversary Land, Life and Society conference. #PLAAS30 🎉 Meet the early career and PhD scholars who will learn from some of eminent academics in our sector. plaas.org.za/sarchi-chair...

plaas.org.za

Writeshop 2025 | Plaas

The Journal of Peasant Studies & partners are pleased to announce the 4th Annual Writeshop in Critical Agrarian Studies and Scholar-Activism 2022

000