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GPF Perspectives l UN Documents | Articles

GPF Perspectives 

UN Documents

Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (May 2012)

Achieving the Right to Food (October 16, 2007)

In 1948 the United Nations formally adopted the Right to Food as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But even without a legal obligation to treat food as a human right, countries have a moral obligation to ensure freedom from hunger by establishing a food system where resources are distributed more equitably. All people must demand that their leaders take action to guarantee the right to food. (FAO)

Articles

2012 l 2011 | 2010 |2009 | 2008

2012

Cameroon: Campaigners Oppose Industrial Palm Oil Plantation (December 14, 2012)

Up to 45, 000 people are at risk of losing their livelihoods if a large palm oil plantation project in southwestern Cameroon will proceed. SG Sustainble Oils Cameroon (SGSOC), a subsidiary of Herakles Farms, is overseeing the project after signing an agreement with the Cameroonian government in 2009. SGSOC still lacks presidential approval so the project has been unlawful since 2010. Campaigners argue that the environmental and socioeconomic gains from preserving the rainforest outweigh the promised benefits of the plantation. In addition, the working conditions and salaries at SGSOC’s plantation are deplorable and an investigation by Greenpeace and the Oakland Institute noted human rights violations. Opinion among the local population is divided because of the job opportunities that SGSOC is promising to provide. (Farmlandgrab)

Law of the Land: Land Grabs Threaten Local Livelihoods in Uganda (November 28, 2012)

Civil Society Groups to Investors: Stop Land Grabbing (November 30, 2012)

Civil society groups issued an online statement on Friday November 30, demanding banks and pension funds to stop investing land grabs. A global farmland investment conference that is taking place in London on December 3-5 and bringing together funds with more than US $ 3.00 trillion in assets to explore the opportunities for investments in Africa, Latin America and Russia. Since 2008 financial investments in land have contributed to more than 200 million hectares of land being taken away from small farmers and other rural communities. The process frequently involves violent evictions and human rights violations. Many see private investment in farmland as low risk and pro-development, but in reality such investments are usually a disaster for local communities and the environment. (Farmlandgrab)

How Development Organisations Can Tackle the Fisheries Challenge (November 27, 2012)

Uganda: The Fight for Women's Land Rights (November 20, 2012)

Podcast: Landgrabbing in Liberia (November 20, 2012)

Seeing More Clearly: New Perspectives on the Global Land Grab (October 30, 2012)

Slideshow: Who's behind the land grabs? (October 16, 2012)

GRAIN has pieced together a slideshow that lists individuals who have been actively pursuing or supporting farmland grabs. The list is not comprehensive but rather helps to get an idea of who and what kind of people are involved. The “land grabber profiles” indicate who and which institutions support them where to find more information on these specific land grabs. The list indicates that the number of land grabbers is small, in stark contrast to the high number of people displaced by their actions. In addition to land, these land grabs also involve water and other resources. The latest dataset on land grabs claims that 10 million hectares of land have been grabbed by foreign companies on average every year since 2007. (GRAIN)

International Civil Society Warns Nations of ‘Resource Grabbing’ (November 7, 2012)

Ocean-grabbing as Serious a Threat as Land-grabbing – UN Food Expert (October 30, 2012)

Land Acquired Over Past Decade Could Have Produced Food for a Billion People (October 3, 2012)

Interactive Map Shows Scale and Speed of Cambodia's Land-grabbing Crisis (September 21, 2012)

How African Governments Allow Farmers to Be Pushed off Their Land (March 2, 2012)

Cameroon: U.S. Firm Under Fire Over Palm Oil Project (September 24, 2012)

World’s Largest Database on International Land Deals Published (September 2012)

Cambodian Activists Call for International Sugar Boycott (September 11, 2012)

Responsible Farmland Investing? Current Efforts to Regulate Land Grabs Will Make Things Worse (August 22, 2012)

Wall Street’s Africa Land Grab (August 15, 2012)

As Myanmar Reforms, Discontent Grips Countryside (August 9, 2012)

While the government of Myanmar is moving ahead with many political and economic changes, most farmers, who make up seventy percent of the population, are either unaware of reforms or fear them. Observers point out that new legislation on farmland, which allows the state to expropriate land in the “national interest,” can accelerate land grabs by domestic and foreign companies. The number of farmers classified as “landless” is on the rise, and many farmer groups are beginning to protest land confiscation and ownership disputes in various areas of the country. Without placing the interests of farmers at the heart of its reforms, the “new Myanmar” risks creating a new group of impoverished urban migrants and deepening its food insecurity. (Reuters) 

Cambodia’s Deadly Land Grab Battle (July 24, 2012)

In Cambodia, disputes over land are getting increasingly violent as state authorities and private companies use armed forces to attack civilians working to protect arable land and forest. Private firms control nearly one-quarter of Cambodia’s surface area and the Ministry of Environment has signed over 10% of the national conservation areas to private plantations. With little or no public consultation or environmental assessments, land concessions by the government have affected more than 400,000 Cambodians in 12 provinces. While recent high-profile attacks have intimated activists against land grabbing, most of them remain unyielding in the battle to gain land back to their communities. (Farmlandgrab) 

Iowa Firm Accused of Displacing Tanzanians for Profit (July 11, 2012)

According to the Oakland Institute, a project by AgriSol Energy, a major U.S energy company, would displace more than 160,000 Burundian refugees in Tanzania, many of whom are subsistence farmers.  The Tanzanian government supports the AgriSol project under an initiative that claims to “promote agricultural development through public-private partnerships.” This partnership is contingent on the government leasing the land to the company for just 25 cents per acre. While AgriSol is expecting to earn approximately 300 million dollars a year from the project, thousands of refugees in Tanzania are losing their lands and livelihoods. (IPS)

Guatemala Farmers Losing Their Land to Europe's Demand for Biofuels (July 5, 2012)

As Guatemala becomes one of the world centers for growing biofuel crops, it is undermining the right to food and livelihoods in the country. In the Polochic valley of southern Guatemala, state and private securities forces are evicting ethnic Maya Q'eqchi communities of smallholders farmers from their land as companies are moving in to satisfy Europe’s hunger for biofuels. The 2008 decision by European countries to obtain 10% of all transport fuels from biofuels by 2020 is the main catalyst behind many evictions. As biofuel projects are diverting food from local people to foreign gas tanks, serious conflict is likely to ensue. (Guardian) 

Cambodians See Nothing Sweet in EU Sugar Accord (July 5, 2012)

The EU’s “Everything But Arms” initiative to increase trade with developing nations by removing import quotas and duties is fueling land grabs in Cambodia, particularly by the sugar industry. The Cambodian government granted thousands of hectares to local and foreign-owned sugar firms with little compensation for more than 3000 dispossessed families. While investors are enriching themselves, rural farmers have no choice but to work for about $1.50 a day on plantations that replaced their rice fields. Activists are now encouraging a boycott of Cambodian “blood sugar” in the EU market. (AFP)

Egyptian Farmers Make Themselves Heard (June 27, 2012) 

In 1992, the Egyptian government under Hosni Mubarak signed Law 96 which transferred land from small tenant farmers back to large owners. Additionally, the Agriculture Ministry, under pressure from USAID, has focused on promoting agricultural export of cash crops at the expense of food crops like wheat. These policies have left Egypt heavily reliant on food imports and vulnerable to food price volatility, with fertile land in control of a few aristocrats. Since the revolution, about 35 farmers’ unions have formed and are now in a legal battle with political elites of the old regime to get their land back. (New York Times) 

UK Investors Gather for Controversial Africa Land Summit (June 25, 2012)

Investors and pension fund managers are gathering in London this week for the Agriculture Investment Summit which focuses on “untapped opportunity” in farmland investment as an “emerging and expanding asset class.” A coalition of 60 international development, environment and farming organizations are demanding that these investors stop the land grab which is taking local people’s land at the fastest rate since colonial time. An estimated 5 percent of Africa’s agricultural land has been sold or leased to Western investors since 2000. As one billion people are already in hunger, land must stay in the hands of local communities so that they can feed themselves. (Guardian) 

Global Resources Grab Kills One Person A Week (June 19, 2012)

A recent report by Global Witness finds that at least one person is being killed in an environmental dispute around the world each week. The forms of killings range from clashes between community and state security forces to assassinations of those who spoke against unjust natural resources deals. Brazil, Peru, Colombia and the Philippines had the highest numbers of reported killings in the past ten years. These trends reflect the increasingly violent nature of global land and natural resources acquisitions. (Reuters/Global Witness)

Why Land Rights Should Be on the Rio+20 Agenda (May 25, 2012)

Is Your Retirement Fund A Land-Grabber? (May 17, 2012)

TIAA-CREF, one of the biggest pension funds in the US, has created a new investment vehicle to bet the retirement assets of University faculty and staff on the rising price of the world's farmland. In a time of economic insecurity, institutional investors are looking for alternatives to stocks and bonds, which are performing poorly. The increased investment of ordinary citizens’ retirement funds in land grabs is considered a “win-win” situation by the financial industry, which is betting that pressure on a limited resource will lead to a windfall. People on the ground tell a different story. (IATP)

The Philippines: The Family Plot (May 12, 2012)

In 1989, the owners of Hacienda Luisita, a sugar plantation estate owned by the family of the President of the Philippines, persuaded farmworkers to give up their land rights in exchange for shares and guaranteed five or six days of work per week. When the company violated its contract and gave some farmers work only one day per week, the United Luisita Workers’ Union took their case to the courts and forced the government to re-examine the 1989 agreement. On April 24^thof 2012, the Workers’ Union won a big victory against Hacienda Luisita when the Supreme Court upheld a decision to redistribute 4, 335 hectares of the land to 6, 269 farmers. This article outlines this rare success of land reform in the Philippines. (The Economist)

Land Grabs Menace Food Security in Latin America despite FAO Claims (May 11, 2012)

Over 100 social organizations from Latin American and the Caribbean denounced FAO’s position on land grabs before the UN agency’s annual Conference in the region in late March. The group was responding to a recent claim by FAO that “the land grabbing phenomenon is in its early stages and only found in two large countries: Argentina and Brazil.” The statement provoked a critical analysis of FAO’s position which, in the words of the group, “legitimizes the industrial monocultures responsible for the expulsion of farmers and indigenous communities from their lands.” (GRAIN)

UN Adopts Historic ‘Land Grab’ Guidelines (May 11, 2012)

In a landmark decision, the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has approved a set of global guidelines that call on governments to protect the rights of people to own or access land, forests and fisheries. The guidelines were developed over the past three years in a negotiating process which involved governments, civil society organizations and the private sector. Although they are non-binding, the guidelines mark the first international agreement on the governance of land tenure. (BBC)

Uganda Threatens to Expel Oxfam and NGOs over Land-Grabbing Claims (May 10, 2012)

The Ugandan government has told a group of 60 NGOs (local and international) to formally apologize for “inciting violence” over alleged land grabs and for “harming the name” of the President. Uganda’s Internal Affairs Minister Hilary Onex has also threatened to deregister Oxfam and the Uganda Land Alliance for allegations made by a 2011 Oxfam report, which stated that over 20,000 people had been evicted in the Mubende and Kiboga districts to make way for the UK-registered New Forests Company. (Guardian)

Land, Life and Justice (April 2012)

This report investigates cases of land grabbing in Uganda, focusing in particular on palm oil plantations in the Lake Victoria region. The report finds that the development of large-scale industrial agriculture is depriving local communities of access to natural resources, exacerbating rural poverty and aggravating the risk of food crises.  (Friends of the Earth International)

Food Fears Feed Global Scramble for Land (May 2, 2012)

The modern-day rush for farmland accelerated after the 2007-2008 food price crisis, in part due to concerns that the planet would not be able to feed a projected 9 billion people by 2050. In order to protect the future food security of their own populations, countries started to acquire large tracts of farmland in foreign states to produce export crops. In this article, the author argues that with fundamental drivers like food prices remaining high, interest in farmland is here to stay. (AlertNet)

Middle Eastern Investors “Grab” Sudan Farmland (April 30, 2012)

To the dismay of local farmers, the government of Sudan has made a deal with Saudi Arabian company Dalla Al Baraka which allows the firm to produce food for export on two million acres of farmland without having to pay taxes or follow Sudanese law. Since Sudan divided into two countries, with most of Sudan’s oil deposits in the South, the Sudanese government has been seeking various foreign direct investment deals to offset the sharp downturn in its export income. (CorpWatch)

World Bank Overseeing Global Land Grab (April 23, 2012)

The World Bank continues to facilitate land grabbing in poor and developing countries around the world finds a new report by Friends of the Earth. With examples from more than 60 countries, the report suggests that the programmes and policies pushed by the World Bank, such as the Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI), create an illusion that by following a set of principles, land grabs can proceed without disastrous consequences. The RAI framework may “seek ‘transparency’ from land deals, but even if done ‘transparently,’ the transfer of large tracts of land will still deprive smallholder farmers and local communities from a crucial, life-sustaining resource.” (IPS Terraviva)

Land is becoming a Scarce Commodity (March 29, 2012)

In this interview, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Olivier de Schutter gives an overview of the recently adopted guidelines on “The Responsible Governance of Tenures of Land, Fisheries and Forests.” The draft guidelines seek to clarify what states should do to protect land users that are dependent on their land for survival. Although the guidelines show a commitment at the international level by the Committee on World Food Security to address land and water grabbing, they are not binding. (Food First)

Ethiopia to Accelerate Land Commercialization amid Opposition (March 23, 2012)

Plans by the Ethiopian government to clear 100,000 hectares of land in the west of the country have left 19 people dead. In the past four years alone, Ethiopia has sold or leased over 400,000 hectares of farmland to foreign investors that are looking to grow biofuels or crops primarily for export, while the country remains one of the world’s top five nations receiving food aid. Every month, at least 400 investors (including increasing numbers of US and European companies) are coming to Ethiopia to rent plots, says the Director of the Agriculture Ministry’s Investment team. In the Gambella region alone, 228,000 hectares have already been leased and another 877,000 hectares have been earmarked for investors. (Bloomberg)

India: 900m Hectares of Arable Land Wasted in Africa (March 19, 2012)

At the opening of the 8^th India-Africa project partnership, the Indian Minister of Industry, Commerce and Textile, Anand Sharma stated that close to 900 million hectares of farmland in Africa were not being “properly utilized.” Sharma’s speech was an indirect reference to India’s interest in acquiring African farmland. At the conference, the Vice President of Zimbabwe vowed to work with India and create “win-win” scenarios for both parties. While land acquisition deals are “win-win” for host governments and foreign investors, they are consistently a big “loose” for local populations that are displaced and left without a means to survive. (All Africa)

Brazil Groups Say Farmland Rules Choke Investment (March 9, 2012)

In 2010, the Attorney-General of Brazil introduced a new law limiting foreign land speculation and acquisition. Under the new law, foreign-controlled companies cannot own more than 25 percent of any municipality and would no longer be considered Brazilian even if they had its headquarters in Brazil. Like the soy, paper and pulp industry, the sugarcane sector in Brazil is highly dependent on foreign capital and sees government restrictions on foreign investment in land as an obstacle to future ethanol production. The sugarcane industry estimates that restrictions on foreign investment will deprive the agricultural sector of 100 billion reais ($56.15 billion). The new rules prevent the companies from taking small farmers’ land. (Reuters)

What Should Companies Do When States Offer Prime Land on a Platter? (March 6, 2012)

Land grabbing is often done through a legal process, where states evict and displace rural farmers by invoking the doctrine of “eminent domain” in order to sell the land to foreign states or institutions. While both the governments and corporate buyers believe that investing in land, will be a “win-win” situation for communities, governments, and corporate buyers, there is much evidence that land grabs displace farmers and leave them worse off This Guardian article gives a good overview of land grabs and identifies steps taken by the Institute for Human Rights and Business and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization to develop guidelines on responsible governance of land tenure. (Guardian)

India Has No Plans to Buy Farmland Abroad - Agriculture Minister (March 5, 2012)

According to India’s Agriculture Minister, the Indian government has no plans to buy or help companies buy farmland abroad. This message is in stark contrast to reports from India’s agribusiness companies, who say that buying land overseas has been on the table for years, and many of them are planning to grow soybeans and palm oil in South America. These discussions illustrate the global nature of land grabs as firms look to make a quick profit and governments look to secure food for a growing population. (Reuters)

The Global Water Grab (March 2012)

This article gives a good overview of the growing phenomenon of water grabbing, the taking of finite water resources by powerful actors for their own benefit. Like land, water is increasingly being described as a commodity, a “blue gold” sought after by countries and private investors worldwide. (Transnational Institute)

Data Set on Over 400 Land Grabs Globally (February 23, 2012)

GRAIN has launched a new data set documenting 416 recent large-scale land grabs by foreign investors. The deals listed were initiated after 2006 and have either taken place or are in the process of completion. The list is not exhaustive but provides a stark snapshot of how private investors and agribusiness companies are expanding their land acquisition deals in the wake of the food and financial crises of 2008. The data set covers close to 35 million hectares of land in 66 countries. GPF is very concerned about land grabbing and will keep updating this list as more information becomes available. (GRAIN)

Contract Farming Law to Curb Rogue Investors Coming(February 27, 2012)

The Tanzanian government will soon vote on a bill in Parliament to protect smallholder farmer land rights against exploitation by foreign private investors. The law will restrict foreign ownership of land and will force investors to identify whether they plan to cultivate biofulels or crops for consumption. In 2010, the Agrarian Development Ministry of Brazil made a similar move and limited foreign land acquisition. (Tanzania News Daily)

Liberia: Land Grab or Development Opportunity? (February 17, 2012)

In April 2010, the Liberian government granted Malaysian company Sime Darby Plantations a permit to cultivate 10,000 hectares of palm oil, without consulting the local population. The agribusiness company is now applying to acquire an additional 35,000 hectares of land, but aggrieved citizens believe that the land grab will displace many more Liberians. Although the Liberian president admits the government should have “gone about the negotiations differently,” no steps have been taken to correct the “oversight.” Meanwhile, Sime Darby maintains that it has not seized land and that it is “serious about being part of the community.” (IRIN)

New Global Land Rush Trampling Human Rights (February 6, 2012)

In Sub-Saharan Africa, millions of people rely on their land without Western-style legal ownership of the land. In this model, the land is claimed by governments but “held in common” and managed by local communities. With speed and on a large scale, foreign investors are taking advantage of such loose property laws and making deals with governments in the name of “economic development.” These deals ignore the legitimacy of rural communities customary land tenure and remove “ethnically defined populations from their land.” (National Geographic)

Funds Focus on Farming Fortunes (February 6, 2012)

UK firm Insight Investment is part of the latest class of firms targeting the farming sector in search of profits. Insight views farmland as a growing investment in a world where natural resources are finite and the global demand for agricultural products continues to rise with a growing population. This article outlines the general investment principle behind buying or leasing farmland—its many possibilities and potential downfalls. The article leaves out the human rights costs of farmland acquisitions, specifically the threat to small farmers and their livelihoods and food security. (farmlandgrab.org)

The 21st Century African Land Rush (February 2012)

This map illustrates the recent trend where private investors, firms and governments buy and lease farmland in order to meet rising demand for agrofuels, invest in their own food security and make a quick profit. The map outlines large land acquisitions in Africa and identifies key commodities driving land use change from 1990 to 2007. It is important to note that land grabs are not limited to Africa or the global South but take place in “developed” countries as well. (Christian Science Monitor)

Thousands ‘Forcibly Relocated’ in Ethiopia, says HRW Report (January 17, 2012)

42% of the land in the fertile Gambella region of Ethiopia has either been bought or is being marketed to foreign investors for commercial agricultural purposes. According to a new Human Rights Watch report, tens of thousands of people have been forced to relocate to make way for agri-business ventures. At the beginning of harvest season, villagers are being forced to move dry areas with poor-quality soil and have been promised food assistance packages. Government failure to provide improved access to services has caused “endemic hunger and cases of starvation.” (Guardian)

Argentine Venture Earns Irish Firm $83m (January 7, 2012)

Just days ahead of a vote by the Argentinean parliament to limit the purchase of farmland by investors, Irish-owned company Fondomonte, which produces corn, wheat and soya, has been sold to Saudi Arabia’s largest food company Almarai, the biggest dairy company in the Gulf region. The acquisition is part of Saudi Arabia’s plan to invest in emerging markets and outsource highly water-intensive grain production. (The Irish Times)

Hedge-Fund Millionaire Diggle Bets on Farms, Life Sciences (January 2, 2012)

Hedge-fund millionaire Stephen Diggle plans to open his personal portfolio of farmland and biotechnology companies to investors, promising high returns in a volatile market. According to Diggle, buying farms and orchards — at the expense of smallholder farmers — is the best way to make profits as global food prices continue to rise. Diggle is one of many investors who are looking towards farmland to make a quick profit as the global population and demand for food continue to increase. (Bloomberg)

2011

Poor Losing out from Large Land Deals-Study (December 14, 2011)

A new study by the International Land Coalition (ILC) found that ineffective governance, corruption and weak rights for local landholders have fueled global land grabbing. Analyzing work from over 40 organizations, ILC found that large-scale land leases or purchases between 2000 and 2010 amounted to 200 million hectares, eight times the size of Britain. They study also found that an overwhelming majority of the land was acquired for biofuel production, not food.(AlertNet)

Land Deals "Threaten South Sudan's Development" (December 12, 2011)

In an effort to meet its development challenges, the government of South Sudan has allowed large-scale foreign investment in land in the hopes of economic profits and food security. In the years leading up to the January 2011 referendum on independence, over 5 million hectares of land had already been leased or bought by foreign investors for biofuels, agriculture and forestry. Land grabs are a means for foreign firms to advance their oil, gas and mining interests and “put development in reverse.” (IRIN)

The Big Challenge for a New Egypt: Water (December 7, 2011)

Egypt relies on the Nile for 90 percent of its water supply and uses 1/3 of the river’s water annually. Among Egyptians, there is little sympathy for the 9 upstream countries that also rely on the world’s longest river for water security. Following the overthrow of Mubarak, upstream nations threaten to boost their share of the Nile’s water, which may mean that Egypt will lose its “hegemonic” control over the river. (Guardian)

At the Nexus of Agrofuels, Land Grabs and Hunger - Part 1 (December 6, 2011)

According to new research by the Oakland Institute, the development of agrofuels and agroforests is stripping thousands of peasants off their land. The report states that US and EU-backed “green projects” and carbon trading will transfer wealth from landowning communities in South Sudan to transnational companies in the global North. (IPS)

The Dark Side of "Sustainable Investments" (December 3, 2011)

A study by Bread for all has found that an ethanol project in Sierra Leone by Swiss energy giant Addax will threaten the livelihoods and food security of the local population. Contrary to the Swiss company’s claims, the sugarcane-to-ethanol project uses highly coveted fertile land and water without consideration for downstream users. The 50 year lease from the government of Sierra Leone is vaguely worded and Bread for all worries that the agreement will prevent the local population from receiving justice before courts in Sierra Leone. (Brot für alle)

Farmers Mobilise to Find Solutions Against Land Grabbing (November 19, 2011)

More than 250 small farmers and representatives of farmers’ organizations from over 30 countries participated in the first International Farmers’ Conference to Stop Land Grabbing from November 17 to 20 in Southern Mali. Participants at the conference shared testimonials of local struggles and discussed solutions to the global land rush. The conference proposed replicating a program in Senegal that would monitor land grabbing cases and then alert journalists, NGOs and policy makers. (La Via Campesina)

Foreign Investment in Mali’s Arable Land Jumps by 60% (November 17, 2011)

Though only 5% of Mali is suitable for farming, foreign investors have bought or leased plots of land large enough to sustain over half a million small farmers, says a new report by Oakland Institute and the Malian National Farmers Organization. The report levels significant blame on the World Bank, which it says has incentivized land acquisition at the expense of smallholder farmers. (Guardian)

Dispossession and Displacement Fears Voiced at South Sudan’s Food-for-export Farming Deals (November 6, 2011)

Though South Sudan was formed in July 2011, foreign investors have already bought or leased over 9 percent of the country’s farmland. An Egyptian private equity fund Citadel Capital has agreed to pay the South Sudanese government $125,000 per-year for a 30-year lease for 259,500 acres of farmland. The company plans to immediately scale-up planting for chickpeas from a 1,500 acre trial to 130,000 acres in the next 5 years. Investors like Citadel Capital insist that they are helping the agriculture of the host country flourish, but critics argue that large foreign investors displace and jeopardize the food security of local small farmers. (Financial Times)

What Drives the Global Land Rush? (November 2011)

This International Monetary Fund working paper on land grabs suggests that investors are attracted to countries where there is weak land governance. These countries typically have large arable plots of land that are owned by small farmers who do not have access to technology. The paper calls for the immediate documentation of cross-national investments and advocates for the improvement of land governance. (IMF)

Africa Rising: Economic Progress vs. Cultural Preservation in Ethiopia (October 27, 2011)

In an effort to become one of the top ten global sugar exporters, the Ethiopian government has begun a project to build sugar plantations along the Lower Omo Valley, home to numerous tribes and semi-nomadic herders. Pastoralists have been arrested for protesting the plan, which will require them to resettle in permanent villages to make way for the sugar fields. Critics of the plan argue the government land grab will trample communities’ rights, destroy their livelihoods and parch World Heritage site Lake Turkana. (Christian Sciene Monitor)

Europe’s Global Land Demand (October 19, 2012)

Europe uses 640 million hectares of land a year, the equivalent of 1.5 times its own area in land. According to a new report, overconsumption in Europe is making the continent dependent on foreign land and this dependency is having massive social impacts, namely exacerbating land grabbing and land right violations. Although the European Commission has acknowledged the need to address Europe’s land consumption, it has not yet been specific about how this should be achieved. (Friends of the Earth Europe)

UN Body Delays Efforts to Regulate Land Grabs (October 17, 2011)

Following failure to reach consensus on large farmland investment, the U.N. Committee on Food Security (CFS) did not adopt international guidelines on land governance during negotiations which took place from October 17-21 (2011). The guidelines are part of a larger effort to regulate land grabs, which provide investors with profitable assets and jeopardize the food security of the host country. Targeted guidelines regulating land investments will benefit countries of the global South whose vulnerable smallholders have lost their livelihoods due to "responsible land investments" by actors predominantly from the global North. The CFS is set to resume negotiations in early 2012. (Reuters)

Karturi to Outsource Ethiopian Land to Indian Farmers (October 12, 2011)

Indian company Karturi Global, known for its cut flower exports, has leased 300,000 hectares of farmland in Western Ethiopia and plans to outsource 17 percent of the land to Indian farmers and agribusinesses. This new revenue-sharing scheme will give 35 percent of the new profits to Indian farmers and agribusinesses. This land grab is part of a larger trend of foreign investors taking land away from local small farmers. (Business Standard)

'India Once Colonised, Has Turned Into A Coloniser' (October 7, 2011)

This interview with Oakland Institute’s founder Anuradha Mittal discusses the trend of land grabbing by Indian investors in Africa.  Land grabbing is similar to twentieth century colonialism and Mittal warns that as a former British colony, India has a “responsibility to start a conversation about development that is not just about profiteering or corporations.” (Outlookindia.com)

Is Water the Hidden Agenda of Agricultural Land Acquisition in sub-Saharan Africa? (October 2011)

This Transnational Institute paper reviews the role of water in foreign land grabs. Irrigation is crucial to crop cultivation and according to this paper, there is a high risk that new large-scale commercial agricultural projects will negatively impact existing small producers in sub-Saharan Africa. Water remains on the margins of current debates, but as land grabbing expands exponentially, the implications of water grabbing cannot be ignored. (TNI)

Land and Power: The Growing Scandal Surrounding the New Wave of Investments in Land (September 22, 2011)

A new report from Oxfam has found that over 227 million hectares of land in developing countries—an area the size of Western Europe—has been leased or sold to foreign investors in the last ten years. Land deals have grown following the food crisis of 2008, and the trend is expected to increase. The report examines land grabs in Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, South Sudan, and Indonesia and calls the large-scale land acquisitions “development in reverse.” Investors disguise land grabs as responsible investment that supposedly provides food for hungry people. (Oxfam)

Ugandan Farmer: "My Land Gave Me Everything. Now I'm One of the Poorest." (September 22, 2011)

In 2010, the Ugandan government violently evicted over 20,000 small farmers and cut down their banana and cassava plantations to make way for the New Forests Company (NFC) which is partly owned by the UK-based HSBC. NFC maintains that it is a sustainable and socially responsible forestry company with licenses in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Rwanda, and considers the eviction a "peaceful and successful experience." It would like to use the model in Uganda “for controversial areas in the future.” (Guardian)

FAO Land-Deal Guidelines: Will They Have Teeth? (September 8, 2011)

Argentina Debates Foreign Land Buys (September 1, 2011)

A Battle is under Way for the Forests of Borneo (August 21, 2011)

Arable Land Deals Could be Bad for Food Security (August 9, 2011)

A report by Worldwatch Institute, looking at 25 sub-Saharan states, has found that some Western countries are purchasing large tracts of land in Africa for biofuel production. It also highlights how even when a country invests in farmland to grow food for consumption, the food is exported and the host nation is left to fend for itself. These land grabs have been promoted as "responsible agricultural investment" and encouraged by the World Bank Group and the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization. Rather than providing a solution to the food crisis by "tapping into a country's 'unused' agricultural potential, land grabs disrupt traditional land use" for Western profit, says Nourishing the Planet Director Danielle Nierenberg. (Nourishing the Planet)

India's Role in the New Global Farmland Grab (August 2011)

This report by GRAIN analyzes the role of 19 Indian companies involved in landgrabbing deals abroad. The Indian government is concerned with its long-term food and water security and has loosened regulations on Indian companies investing in overseas operations. Simultaneously, the Indian business sector is actively engaged in sending high-level trade delegations to developing nations that offer incentives to foreign investors, such as Ethiopia. The report considers the negative “ethical, political, human rights and environmental” consequences for peoples who are displaced by landgrabs. It also gives voice to activists fighting for small farmers rights and calls for a shift away from the current model of “large, corporate commercial” agriculture towards sustainable agriculture. (GRAIN)

“Land Grabs” in Agriculture: Fairer Deals Needed to Ensure Opportunity for Locals (July 26, 2011)

Critics of international land acquisitions believe land grabs do not represent the interests of the host country and jeopardize its food security. This article from Nourishing the Planet, a project of the Worldwatch Institute, makes recommendations for ensuring that global land deals are beneficial for local residents. Host countries must identify who owns the land—whether on paper or in practice— and foreign investors must receive consent from local residents before purchasing the land, protecting the rights of small-scale farmers, says Nourishing the Planet. Most importantly, local residents should have the opportunity to be involved with infrastructure development in their communities for it can create jobs and fuel local economies. Such considerations, if practiced, may improve prosperity and food security for foreign investors and small-scale farmers. (Nourishing the Planet)

Down on the Farm, Investors See Big Potential (July 16, 2011)

Computer executives, publishers, money managers and lawyers make up a new breed of “gentleman farmers” buying up the American heartland. With arable land shrinking and food prices soaring, investors view farmland as a tradable asset with the potential to deliver significant profits. Unlike traditional investments such as stocks, farmland is especially profitable because demand for food is steadily increasing due to a growing global population. Farmers who have spent their lives working the land are unable to compete with buyers who have no farming experience and no interest in dealing with food insecurity. Contrary to popular belief, land grabbing occurs around the world and not just in developing countries. (farmlandgrab.org)

World Bank Told to Stop Lending to Land Grabbers (July 6, 2011)

A group of fifteen civil society organizations issued an open letter to the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), condemning IFC’s partnership with the Argentinean firm Calyx Agro which has bought vast tracks of farmland in southern Latin America. Calyx Agro is looking to expand its farmland holdings in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and has asked the IFC for a loan of up to $30 million. The letter denounces the loan and points to the World Bank’s “blatant contradictions between the Bank’s stated mission of poverty elimination and sustained development, and its policies and lending practices.” If Calyx Agro is granted the loan, the company will be able to buy thousands of acres of farmland for wealthy foreign investors at the expense of small-scale farmers.  The significance of the World Bank’s involvement goes beyond finance as one of the world’s biggest multilateral institutions will be once again offering direct support to the global land rush. (farmlandgrab.org)

Meet the Millionaires and Billionaires Suddenly Buying Tons of Land in Africa (June 30, 2011)

A report by the Oakland Institute has found that foreign investors are acquiring vast tracks of land in Africa at very low costs. Governments in Africa are creating incentives to attract investment in farmland and investors, such as hedge fund managers, are taking over land that small-scale farmers have lived on for hundreds of years. Often, farmers are unaware of land deals and are displaced without any notice. This article gives some background on several wealthy investors who are partaking in the global land rush.  Investors include Count Miguel Pais do Amaral, businessman and amateur race car driver, Howard Eugene Douglas, former US Ambassador at Large and Coordinator for Refugee Affairs, Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure and the Libyan head of state Muammar Gaddafi. (Oakland Institute)

The New African Land Grab (June 30, 2011)

Since 2006, foreign investors have acquired millions of hectares of land from small-scale farmers in Africa, destroying family farms and robbing farmers of their livelihood. In order to control global food production, speculators, banks, and unregulated investors are focusing on the new “asset class” of African farmland. Though these investors are responsible for inflating food prices and creating the global hunger crisis, the World Bank has been promoting direct foreign investment in Africa and encouraging African nations to outdo one another by selling as much land as possible. (Al Jazeera)

Petition Calls for Halt to New ‘Land Grab’ in Africa (June 22, 2011)

A group of 500 NGOs delivered a petition to the G20 agricultural leaders calling for a stop to land grabbing. Increasingly foreign corporations and universities are buying up land under the guise of “responsible agricultural investment.” However, these practices are anything but “responsible.” Analysis of land contracts reveals that most deals provide few jobs and force thousands of people off the land. (Irish Times)

US Universities in Africa 'Land Grab' (June 8, 2011)

Recently some major American universities have begun investing in African land with the hopes of high returns, but are just contributing to land-grabbing. While representatives of these institutions claim their actions are “responsible”, critics worry that the deals will have damaging effects on jobs and food security in Africa. Universities’ emphasis on a high-return investment strategy is not as altruistic as investors may believe, and puts “dollars in the pockets of… foreign investors” while impeding progress for Africans. (Guardian)

2010

African Farmers Displaced as Investors Move In (December 15, 2010)

Slow Progress on Land Grabbing Regulation (November 29, 2010)

Land Grabs in Poor Countries Set to Increase (September 8, 2010)

Innovations in Access to Land: Land Grab or Agricultural Investment? (August 5, 2010)

The Emerging Politics of Food Scarcity (July 14, 2010)

Brazil Government Plans to Limit Foreign Land Purchases (June 23, 2010)

African Land Grab Not a Cure for Arab Food Concerns (April 7, 2010)

Stop Land Grabbing Immediately! (April, 2010)

Deals Can be Good News When Not Made Behind Closed Doors (March 7, 2010)

How Food and Water are Driving a 21st Century Land Grab (March 7, 2010)

EU Biofuels Significantly Harming Food Production in Developing Countries (February 15, 2010)

La Via Campesina: The Evolution of a Transational Movement (February 8, 2010)

2009

Foreign Investors Snap Up African Farmland (July 30, 2009)

Europe's Overseas Push into Biofuels (May 13, 2009)

US Investor Buys Sudanese Warlord's Land (January 2009)

2008

Rich Countries Launch Great Land Grab to Safeguard Food Supply (November 22, 2008)

Seized: The 2008 Land Grab for Food and Financial Security (October 2008)

The global financial crisis is prompting investors to seek new sources of profit. Many are buying cheap agricultural land in developing countries to make a profit from the soaring food prices. But privatization of land threatens small-scale farming and food security in the world's poor countries, as fertile land concentrates into the hands of a few private companies. (GRAIN)

Hoarding Nations Drive Food Costs Ever Higher (June 30, 2008)

Conventional economists argue that everyone will benefit if countries specialize in producing a few different food commodities and import the rest. But without any protection of the domestic market, farmers in poorer countries must compete with commodities subsidized by richer countries. As over 29 countries have restricted food exports to ensure that their people have enough to eat, the import-dependent countries have even less access to food. A group of food-importing countries is promoting an agreement in the Doha Development Round to prevent countries from unilaterally restricting exports. (New York Times)

The World Food Summit: A Lost Opportunity (June 10, 2008)

The World Food Summit declaration neglects to address the root causes of global food insecurity. World leaders failed to reach a solution on biofuel production, even though the International Food Policy Research Institute calculated that "production of biofuel is responsible for 30% of the rise in food prices." Furthermore, the declaration urged governments to reduce trade restrictions, even though trade liberalization is one of the main causes of the food crisis. (OpenDemocracy)

Manufacturing a Food Crisis (June 2, 2008)

The 2008 global food crisis demonstrates the destructiveness of the "one-two punch of IMF-imposed adjustment and WTO-imposed trade liberalization." These policies have steadily marginalized farmers, and transformed self-sufficient agricultural economies into vulnerable, import-dependent ones. Large industrial farms and grain-trading corporations control the global food market. However, poor countries increasingly defy World Bank, IMF and WTO policies - with fruitful results - and farmer's movements such as the Via Campesina are gaining in influence. (The Nation)

Destroying African Agriculture (June 3, 2008)

This Foreign Policy In Focus article argues that the shift of countries from net-exporters to net-importers of food caused the global food crisis. The author criticizes the IMF and World Bank's structural adjustment programs that lowered countries' investments and social spending. Several poor countries dedicated land for export crops to service their debt to the World Bank and IMF. As a result, food production has declined and food insecurity has grown. For example, from 1966-70, Africa exported an average 1.3 million tons of food a year but almost all African countries are now net food importers.

Why It's All About Land (April 17, 2008)

Multilateral lending organizations, aid agencies and NGOs have avoided addressing the politically sensitive topic of land inequalities in Africa. Explanations for conflicts around land have focused on Africa's lack of economic development. Rather, aid agencies should understand that, in the absence of social safety nets, land is the only asset which people can turn to for financial security. (Newstatesman)

Siezed! The 2008 Land Grab for Food and Financial Security (October 2008)