Selorm Kobla Kugbega

Selorm’s research focuses on the nexus between resource use, property rights, agrarian livelihoods and social differentiation. He explores these perspectives by considering the dynamics between smallholder farmers and cattle herders in terms of competition for land and water resources. He also analyses how structural aspects of resource use and access interphase with state-led smallholder commercialization processes and the implications for social differentiation.

Selorm’s current research focuses on smallholder commercialization processes across sub-Saharan Africa that aim to engender structural transformation, reduce poverty and contribute to food security. Practically smallholder commercialization involves moving away from subsistence cultivation and encouraging the development of a cadre of  master or entrepreneurial smallholder farmers. This raises questions around smallholder differentiation; who benefits, how, why and what constraints exist. Commercialization processes also hold implications for the development of rural land markets in communities who adhere to the tenets of intergenerational equity and conceptualize land as a customary entitlement for past, present and future generations. The result may be an exacerbation of already tenuous customary land tenure rights among varied smallholder groups including women and migrant farmers. Selorm’s current research ultimately seeks to incite a discussion on the broad themes around state policy implications for smallholder differentiation and customary land tenure. It also highlights perspectives around land tenure adaptation and livelihood diversification. 

Teaching

Selorm teaches on a number of courses, namely:

• Geography of African Development
• Urban and Rural Livelihoods
• Methods courses with a focus on qualitative methods and application of NVivo data analysis tools
• Thesis course for BIDS (Bachelor in Development studies) students on the Human Geography track
• Practical aspects of development management for BIDS (Bachelor in Development studies) and LUMID (Masters in International Development and Management) students
• Thesis supervision for Master's and Bachelor's students