Several global governance initiatives have tried to address the heightened interest in land reform across sub-Saharan Africa, each identifying principles of good governance to promote investment while minimizing exploitation of local populations. Tanzania has been particularly earnest in seeking to implement land reform. Yet in spite of legislative reforms, several communities in Tanzania are still crying foul over perceptions of being marginalized as well as experiencing negative impacts on household human security in the form of access to food and employment. A useful way to investigate these perceptions is to situate analyses of land reform and natural resource governance within the interplay of ‘global’ and ‘local’ forces – glocal dynamics. Based on recently conducted field research and participant observations, this article provides timely analyses of Tanzania’s land governance reforms. This article identifies gaps in how policies have been conceived and in turn impacted vulnerable populations including rural women. The article also finds that global governance institutions need to pay greater attention to how land reform recommendations are implemented in order to cultivate equity and effectiveness.