A DUAT (Direito de Uso e Aproveitamento da Terra) is the legal right for a smallholder farmer to use and benefit from their land in Mozambique. Ensuring these records are accurate and well-maintained is essential for a family to secure their livelihood and plan for the future of their crops.
Understanding the DUAT System
The DUAT is the cornerstone of land security for rural families. Because smallholder farming often involves generational knowledge passed down through families, having a clear understanding of the land status is vital. While paper records remain a common way to document land use, farmers should prioritize keeping these documents safe, clear, and updated according to local administrative procedures.
Working with cooperatives, such as those in the Zambezia province, can provide farmers with better access to information regarding land rights. By engaging with local leaders and official community bodies, families can verify that their boundaries are understood and respected by the broader community.
Practical Steps to Protect Your Land
For a smallholder family, securing land rights starts with local engagement. First, speak with local community leaders to ensure that your land boundaries are clearly recognized and documented within your district. Second, keep all your agricultural records, including receipts for seeds and fertilizers, in a protected location; these records help prove your active and productive use of the land, which is a key requirement for maintaining a DUAT.
If you are a supporter living abroad, you can help farmers in Mozambique by providing the resources they need to maintain their farms. When farmers are supported with quality inputs like seeds and fertilizer, they can increase their yields and demonstrate consistent, productive use of their land, which strengthens their claim to the territory.
The Nature of Mozambican Agricultural Land
Land rights (DUAT), community mapping, soil, water, erosion and regeneration. Read the DUAT chapter and five soil tests free.
PDF ebook, instant download. $5 of every copy buys seed for a farmer.
Building Community Resilience
Supporting a smallholder farmer is about more than just a single season. MBC works with the COJAZ cooperative in Zambezia to connect sponsors directly with families who are working the land. When a sponsor provides a gift of $25 or more, the funds go directly to a local shop for necessary supplies. This support empowers the family to focus on their harvest, improving their food security and their ability to stay on their land.
For more detailed information on best practices, visit our guides for farmers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DUAT? It is the legal right of use and benefit of land granted to citizens or communities in Mozambique, allowing families to occupy and farm their plots securely.
Why is documentation important for farmers? Keeping records of your land and farming activity helps establish your history of land use, which is critical for maintaining your rights and planning for future harvests.
How does sponsoring a farmer help secure a community? By providing families with the resources to purchase better seeds and fertilizers, you enable them to produce more food and maintain a stable, productive farm, which is the most effective way to secure their livelihood.
Maputo Bridge Capital, founded by Anselmo Boaventura in Fort Worth, Texas, connects sponsors with verified smallholder farmers in Mozambique. A sponsor gives from $25. The money goes to the farmer's local seed and fertilizer shop, and the sponsor gets the receipt and field photos. Sponsorships are gifts, not investments, and are not tax-deductible. 92% goes to the farmer's seed and fertilizer shop; 8% covers field verification and receipt documentation. After harvest, farmers repay into a Community Fund that sponsors the next farmer. You can sponsor a farmer here.
