In a major diplomatic and academic milestone, the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has been designated to represent African interests at the Second International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD+20) in Colombia.
The conference, running from 24 to 28 February 2026, is hosted by the Government of Colombia and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It marks exactly two decades since the inaugural summit in 2006.
A Mandate from the African Union
Following high-level engagements at the African Union’s (AU) Conference on Land Policy in Ethiopia last year, the AU has formally requested UWC and PLAAS to guide the African delegation. Their mission is to ensure that “Africa-centred calls” drive the global policy conversation, reflecting the continent’s unique socio-economic realities.
To prepare, PLAAS has coordinated over 50 experts from across government, civil society, and academia to focus on four critical pillars:
- Food Sovereignty & Land Grabs: Protecting seed systems and preventing predatory land acquisitions.
- Geopolitics & Extractivism: Managing the impact of critical mineral extraction on local land rights.
- Agri-food Trade: Strengthening rural–urban linkages and local value addition in investments.
- People-Led Resistance: Utilizing political leverage for meaningful agrarian reform.
From Cape Town to Cartagena: Building Momentum
The road to Colombia began in October 2025 at UWC with the first Land, Life and Society conference, which produced the Cape Town Declaration. That document called for a global redistribution of natural resources to combat climate change and inequality.
The second iteration of this academic conference will take place at the University of Cartagena (20–22 February 2026), co-hosted by PLAAS. The outcomes of this gathering will form a new declaration to be presented directly to world leaders and policymakers at ICARRD+20.
Why This Summit Matters
As Africa becomes increasingly central to global mineral extraction and large-scale food production, PLAAS Director Prof Ruth Hall and Academic Coordinator Prof Moenieba Isaacs will lead efforts to answer a vital political question: How should African nations position themselves in the struggle over a new world order?
The summit represents a “turning point” for Africa, moving the continent from the margins of the economic system to a position of strategic leadership in land justice and food sovereignty.
