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Marc Wegerif

Biography

I am a Senior Lecturer, Researcher, and the Development Studies Programme Coordinator at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. I hold a Rural Sociology PhD from Wageningen University. The focus of my PhD research was on the food system that feeds the large and fast-growing city of Dar es Salaam. My Master’s Degree (obtained cum laude) is in Land and Agrarian Studies from the University of the Western Cape.

Prior to joining academia, I worked on development and human rights issues in a range of organisations for about 30 years, with land and agrarian reform, food systems and economic justice being a focus. As the Land Rights Policy Lead with Oxfam International I was responsible for global advocacy and coordination of the organisation’s land related policy and advocacy work with a focus on women’s land rights. In this role I was directly engaged in extensive advocacy within the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) processes. 

Other recent roles include consulting to national and international development agencies (including UN Women, UN Habitat, International Land Coalition, African CSO Platform on Land) and holding the position of Food and Land Rights Advisor with Oxfam. This involved developing Oxfam policies on food and land issues, international campaigning (on trade, climate change, women’s land rights and food policy), managing several multi-country projects and providing internal advice. Before working more internationally, I worked with a range of South African non-government organisations, including starting and running several development organisations.