While used broadly throughout history, land grabbing as used in the 21st century primarily refers to large-scale land acquisitions following the 2007-2008 world food price crisis.[1] Obtaining water resources is usually critical to the land acquisitions, so it has also led to an associated trend of water grabbing.[2] By prompting food security fears within the developed world and new found economic opportunities for agricultural investors, the food price crisis caused a dramatic spike in large-scale agricultural investments, primarily foreign, in the Global South for the purpose of industrial food and biofuels production. Although hailed by investors, economists and some developing countries as a new pathway towards agricultural development, investment in land in the 21st century has been criticized by some non-governmental organizations and commentators as having a negative impact on local communities. International law is implicated when attempting to regulate these transactions.
As we head toward the Second International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD+20) on 24-28 February in Cartagena, Colombia, farmers and Indigenous Peoples across Asia are being pushed off their lands in the name of “climate action.” From carbon offsets and mega-dams to plantations and so-called green infrastructure, false climate solutions have become […]
“If no woman stands up, we cannot expect victory in our struggles. But if women join the struggle, victory is already within reach.” In Lupang Ramos, a 372-hectare agricultural land in Cavite province, Philippines, it is the women who lead the struggle for land and #agroecology. Together, they harness their strengths to secure food and livelihoods […]
What are the most dangerous countries for farmers, indigenous people, and land activists in 2019? Watch out for PANAP’s Land & Rights Watch yearend report, out on International Human Rights Day, December 10.
