July 2025
by Mesai Mitiku and Nejat Ahmed
A quiet struggle had been unfolding for years in the fertile lands of Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha, located in Ethiopia’s Oromia Region. While large-scale investments, such as a major shareholding flower company, promised development, they also reshaped the ancestral landscapes that local farmers had cultivated for generations. The arrival of such investments often led to land being reallocated with little room for community dialogue or inclusive decision-making.
Fifteen years ago, land in areas like Jido Kombolcha was transferred to external investors under a shareholding scheme, impacting many rural households. For farmers like Feyisa Langamo from Adami Tulu woreda, this meant a direct loss of livelihood. “We did not agree to it,” recalls Feyisa. “But the woreda forced us to surrender our land, threatening imprisonment if we refused the compensation.”
This experience was not unique. Many farmers found themselves navigating unfamiliar and inaccessible systems with limited understanding of their rights or available recourse. Their voices remained largely unheard until change began to take shape through a collaborative initiative focused on strengthening community voices in land governance.
Land for Life (LfL) is an international initiative that promotes people-centered land governance by enabling inclusive, transparent, and equitable processes around land-related decisions. Its work in Ethiopia seeks to empower rural communities to actively participate in land governance, not in isolation but through constructive engagement with government authorities, investors, and other stakeholders.
Operating under the CILGF, the initiative supports locally driven solutions where communities, local authorities, and private sector actors can dialogue. The objective is not just to improve land governance but to foster partnerships that recognize the rights, responsibilities, and aspirations of all involved.
The CILGF is a local conversation platform that brings together communities, investors, and local governments to discuss openly, establish trust, and discover mutually beneficial solutions. It provides a forum for people to express their concerns, learn about their rights, and work through issues such as unjust remuneration, working conditions, and the environment.
These forums, led by civil society organizations like as Land for Life, help to transform conflict into cooperation and ensure that people have a genuine say in how agricultural investments affect their lives.
In Adami Tulu, Jido Kombolcha, this approach marked a turning point. Before the LfL initiative, local farmers faced significant challenges asserting their land rights. “We wouldn’t have accomplished anything,” shares one farmer. “Our only option was to go to the woreda or the zone; we didn’t know how to truly engage the system or our rights.”
The Land for Life approach changed this dynamic by teaching and working with communities to strengthen their voice and agency. Through participatory forums, legal support, and knowledge-sharing workshops, farmers began understanding their rights and identifying ways to pursue collective action. But more importantly, they learned how to engage with other actors, including the local administration and private investors, to explore solutions that worked for everyone.
Ukule Nabi, a woman farmer, reflects: “After participating in the forums, we started to understand how to assert our claims respectfully but confidently. We learned not just about our land rights but how to communicate with other stakeholders.”
The effects of this collaborative work extended far beyond legal claims. Farmers such as Worku Edao highlight how these exchanges also focused on responsible investment, sustainable land management, and shared benefits. “It wasn’t just about compensation. We learned that there are ways for investment to benefit both sides if done transparently and with respect,” he notes.
Women in the community experienced a particularly profound shift. Traditionally excluded from land discussions, women like Bashula Midhega found new confidence in engaging with community leaders and public institutions. “Before, we didn’t know we had rights to land as women,” Bashula explains. “Now, we’re part of the conversation. We have a say in how our land is used.”
While challenges remain and full resolution is still underway, the transformation in Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha is evident. Where silence once prevailed, community members now actively participate in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods. The LfL initiative has helped raise awareness and fostered trust, dialogue, and long-term engagement between communities and external actors.
This illustrates the value of inclusive partnerships in land governance. Rather than imposing solutions, the Land for Life approach supports communities in shaping their outcomes through collaboration and mutual understanding. Doing so affirms a fundamental principle: lasting change begins when people are seen as partners, not recipients.