Directions for land reform – what might another Green Paper propose? Alternative options and their ideological underpinnings

Abstract

International and SA debates: 4 broad approaches & loose coalitions • “Modernist-conservative”/modernisation: support the existing structure of agriculture (capital intensive farming in large units) but deracialise LSCF sector to ease political tensions • “Neo-liberal”/efficiency & equity: remove economic distortions, liberalise markets, redistribute to efficient small farmers, acquire land throughmarket-based land reform • “Welfarist”/poverty alleviation: land and farming as a supplement to employment and grants • “Radical populist”/structural transformation: redistribute wealth & power to rural poor, support diverse land-based livelihoods, expropriate land without compensation