Socio-Cultural Differences in Perception of Land Ownership and Resource Management between Crop Cultivators and Pastoralists in Mvomero District, Tanzania

Abstract

Land-use conflicts between crop cultivators and pastoralists in Mvomero District, Tanzania, represent a microcosm of broader tensions across East Africa's agro-pastoral landscape. This study investigates the socio-cultural perceptions underlying these conflicts, examining how divergent worldviews regarding land ownership and resource management drive persistent disputes. Using a mixed-methods approach involving 100 crop cultivators and 100 pastoralists, the research reveals a fundamental philosophical divide: cultivators view land as an individually owned, fixed asset (mean perception score 4.2/5), while pastoralists conceptualise it as a dynamic commons essential for mobility (2.1/5). These contrasting paradigms are exacerbated by institutional failures, including the absence of Village Land Use Plans (VLUPs) in 73% of pastoralist-dominated villages and weak local governance structures characterised by corruption and limited legal literacy. The study found significantly higher conflict frequencies among pastoralists (3.5/4) compared to cultivators (2.8/4), reflecting their vulnerability to encroachment and marginalisation within formal legal frameworks. Current land policies, despite recent reforms in Tanzania's National Land Policy (2025), continue to privilege sedentary, individual tenure systems over customary pastoralist practices. The research demonstrates that effective conflict resolution requires participatory land-use planning, legal recognition of customary tenure systems, and gender-sensitive approaches that address the disproportionate impacts on women and marginalised groups. These findings contribute to broader East African discourse on land governance, emphasising the necessity of culturally sensitive policies that bridge the socio-cultural divide between agricultural and pastoral communities.