People in many areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are taking steps to improve their methods for resolving arguments over land. Community structures are being developed to settle disputes without the need to go to higher courts, which is often time-consuming and expensive. An example of a successful new initiative is the ‘peace committees’ developed in Mali to resolve conflicts between herding groups and farmers. This is according to research by the International Institute for Environment and Development in the UK that looks at the issues emerging from changes to land policies in SSA, including the increasing conflicts over land ownership and access.