The first detailed study of large scale land acquisitions in africa analyses the modalities and likely impacts. This website is an open tool for collecting and visualising information about largescale land acquisitions at global, regional and national level. Population growth was outstripping food supplies, food prices. Pdf we look at the issue of land grabbing by china based on the existing literature. Since 2008, an insidious and dangerous global process has been implemented to access africas arable land and take control of. The land grab in the twothirds world violates both of these principles. Such loss does not necessarily imply the loss of land rights especially under. Can you give us some examples of how this plays out. Land is the source of life and death, but it might not always be with us. Far from being a technical issue associated good governance, the problem of land grabbing by transnational corporation and states is a serious threat for the food security of millions of africans and is undoubtedly one of the great challenges of our. South africa sets date for white farmers land grab.
Expropriation of land without compensation will not only affect farmers or those in rural areas, but could snowball into a situation that touches all south africans, says an industry insider. Introduction to the collection of studies saturnino borras jr. Rapidly increasing demand for palm oil for food and agrofuels is currently leading to a new wave of largescale planting in africa. Land concentration, land grabbing and peoples struggles in. Hunger, food security, and the african land grab ethics. The international aid agency oxfam warns that more than 60 percent of investments in agricultural land by foreign investors between 2000 and 2010 were in countries where food security was a major.
We use the term green grabbing in our special issue to examine instances where environmental agendas are the core drivers of the land deals whether through biodiversity conservation, biocarbon sequestration, protection of ecosystem services, offsets etc. Klopp political liberalization in africa is a more problematic process than earlier thought. South africa sets date for white farmers land grab months after announcing test case to see if expropriation without compensation is legal national assembly voted in favour of the set up of. Apr 23, 2018 in fact farming is now returning to smaller farms with more organic methods. Aca demic attention to land grabbing, the vernacular. The scale and impact of land grabbing for agrofuels. In our essay, two of the studys authors bemoan that international media coverage has since emphasised the risks involved without much regard for opportunities. The study highlights the possible opportunities investments, rising agricultural productivity and rural incomes, if things are managed well and warns about the risks uncompensated loss of land rights for the rural poor if contracts are not properly negotiated and enforced. Africa latitude and longitude and relative locations. Our commitment to tackling poverty and empowering communities continues. There will always be a demand for food, and this has led to the rich and big businesses taking control of rural communities. Preventing landgrabbing in africa africa faith and.
An article on the history of land grabbing in south africa. Jan 26, 2016 this phenomenon is called land grabbing, the new form of colonization of developing countries many of which in africa has reached new heights in recent history due to corrupt governments who dont have their peoples interests in mind. Major challenges to food production competing for land use after more than 2 decades oxfams school program has closed. Biofuel africa hoped to develop the largest jatropha plantation in the world in ghana. What effect does land grabbing have on local people. Famines in bangladesh, the sahel and ethiopia seemed to prove malthus finally right. Oct 16, 20 a new report by dutch consultancy firm ecofys claims that european demand for biofuels is not to blame for land grabbing in poorer countries. In its introductory part the report puts these case studies in the context of land grabbing. For local people in sub saharan africa, large land investment projects currently imply many. Land grabbing in africa and the new politics of food. By some estimates, nearly 35 million hectares of land in 66 countries have been purchased by foreign investors since 2006.
Others are more cautious, speaking of largescale land acquisitions, while the world bank notes euphemistically the rising global interest in farmland. Land grabs in africa a threat to food security 3 target burkina faso, ethiopia, ghana, guinea, malawi, mali, niger, and senegal and most have made signifi cant progress towards it. Nevertheless a picture is emerging of largescale land acquisitions in africa. By all accounts, land grabbing is intensifying and spreading, especially in rural africa. Land grabbing is the term used to describe the acquisition leasing or purchasing of arable lands in developing countries by other countries or public or private companies aiming at food security in their home countries, fuel supplies or as investment. Oct 12, 2014 as the international community joins hands to stop the threat of the ebola virus, bahati jacques of africa faith and justice network, a catholic advocacy organization based in washington dc, would like to also shine some light, stop and prevent another serious and rapidly growing threat to africas future. This pdf is made available under a creative commons. What do we know about the chinese land grab in africa. In the more heavily forested places periodic rotation of crops is needed to prevent soil degradation.
Since 2009, the land matrix, a joint independent land monitoring initiative of civil society, intergovernmental organizations and research institutes, has collected key information regarding land grabbing. Land grabbing or the farms race in africa has been described as a new neo colonial push by foreign companies and gover nm ents to annex ke y natural resour ces. Many other studies have also observed that land acquisition in africa could be more for speculation and as a store of wealth than as a productive asset that will enhance the food security of africa and the wellbeing of its people. While it is true for most indigenous communities that deprivation and violation of their right to land is not a new phenomenon, it is also true that the more recent land grabbing phenomenon has a particularly rapid and negative impact on indigenous peoples rights. You can also measure the flight distance between continents, or look up the change in time zone from one continent to another. This article explores the impact of land grabbing in ethiopia and examines the human rights and sustainable development frameworks within which land grabbing takes place.
Africa land grab recent articles and reports on african. In this part, we will outline the motivations and key players driving these investments. Grain grain releases data set with over 400 global land grabs. Bachelor course in economics, neg 300 abstract the phenomenon of large scale land acquisition has increased in recent years. The limits of international and national legal instruments. Ultimately, this note concludes that, even in the context of. Now that crop and food prices have returned to their usual punishingly low levels, is the pressure off from foreign buyers looking to acquire large tracts of agricultural lands. Development aid for land reform,overseas development institute, 2000, p 1. Land grabbing in kenya and mozambique fian international. The purpose is to provide a platform where one can find recent articles and reports on african land grab. A definition of land grabbing is suggested along with the reasons for the recent surge in land grabbing due to. Rising demand in china and west sparks african land grab this article is more than 10 years old major economic powers buying and renting farmland in. Land grabbing in indonesia land grabbing in indonesia.
Stop africa land grab the global movement to rollback. Is land policy the solution to land grab in africa. Land grabs in africa the issue over the last decade, the amount of land purchased by foreign investors in developing countries has increased dramatically. Afriforum lays charges against malema for land grab comments. A growing population has led to agriculture growing as an even bigger business. To address this issue, the first africa conference on land grabs is set to take place in south africa on 2730 oct. The debate over large scale land investments in africa is shifting its focus away from the disastrous impact of land grabs on the social fabric of the communities to the need for african governments to deal with citizens outrage over land expropriation by developing a land policy. In africa, asia and latin america million of hectares of land has been taking over by developed countries through their multinational agribusiness. Water droughts in midtolow latitudes and disappearance of glaciers. Lines of longitude are often referred to as meridians.
The pros and cons of largescale land purchases by foreign. Help spread information on the new scramble for africa. Jun 25, 2010 the subject of transnational land acquisitions, infamously referred to as land grabbing, has increasingly become an important policy concern in africa as acquisitions have grown in scale and number. Obtaining water resources is usually critical to the land acquisitions, so it has also led to an associated trend of water.
Specific home and hostcountry policies, cheap land, the lack of a legal infrastructure, investment opportunities and the promise of quick profit returns are the driving factors behind land acquisitions throughout africa, argues nikolaj nielsen in this weeks pambazuka news. The worlds population will likely reach nine billion by 2050, and africa could help feed it. Jan 28, 2015 the debate over large scale land investments in africa is shifting its focus away from the disastrous impact of land grabs on the social fabric of the communities to the need for african governments to deal with citizens outrage over land expropriation by developing a land policy. Check out any of the continents in the world and find the latitude and longitude of the center of each continent. Land grabbing in africa and the new politics of food introduction africa is for sale is how some characterise it. A critical analysis of the land reform programme in zimbabwe. Land grabbing in af rica and the new politics of food introduction africa is for sale is how some characterise it.
The future of africa hangs in the balance and as africa goes so too goes the rest of the world. Tshwanes mayor has said the eff is behind informal settlements on land earmarked by the city for developing housing for the poor. Land grabbing as a driver of environmental change eprints soton. Today marks the payout on maturity to shareholders for the bbbee scheme that is committed to transforming south africa. Since 2009, the land matrix, a joint independent landmonitoring initiative of civil society, intergovernmental organizations and research institutes, has collected key information regarding land grabbing. How land grabs hurt africa rights and resources initiative. For example, it shows that almost nine percent of africa s total area of arable land has changed owners since 2000. Land grabbing is the contentious issue of largescale land acquisitions. Land reform, implementation, land information system, cadastre, sustainable. It signifies the right of peoples, nations, or unions of nations to define their agricultural and food policies without outside. Jul 05, 2012 in the 1970s the world was coming to an end. Land grabbing and human rights transnational institute.
Primary and secondary data on land acquisitions in africa is scarce and often of limited reliability. Food sovereignty is a concept developed by via campesina in 1996 as an alternative to neoliberal policies and the industrial model of production. Lines of latitude are often referred to as parallels. Guidelines for sustainable largescale land deals in africa fao. The role of eu actors abroad the impacts of land grabbing on human rights the most frequent and immediate impact of land deals is the loss of access to and control over land and land related resources by local communities. The report commissioned by an organisation that represents the european renewable ethanol industry comes as eu lawmakers discuss new biofuel legislation that could curb support to the sector. Displacement and dispossession through land grabbing in mozambique. The term land grabbing is defined as very largescale land acquisitions, either buying or leasing. Click here to view pdf document for land grabbing in africa. Yield gaps and relative land availability for subsaharan africa.
The dam is situated in the loskop dam nature reserve and it serves mainly for irrigation purposes. While used broadly throughout history, land grabbing as used in the 21st century primarily refers to largescale land acquisitions following the 200708 world food price crisis. Land grabbing and food sovereignty in west and central africa. Land grab without compensation could affect all in sa legal expert fin24. The hidden aspects of water grabbing do not just make it a very slippery terrain, but also imply that largescale land acquisitions all around africa actually can be understood as water grabbing. World bank fuels land grabs in africa through shadowy. Land grabbing in ethiopia welfare or farewell is it a story painted in black and white. International investors have recently shown a fast growing interest in land in developing countries. A literature search on china grabbing land in africa. France land grabbing, artificialisation and concentration in france. The subject of transnational land acquisitions, infamously referred to as land grabbing, has increasingly become an important policy concern in africa. Preventing landgrabbing in africa africa faith and justice. Emerging land system drivers in a teleconnected world find.
Rising global interest in farmland world bank group. The silent recolonisation of africa is happening on a mass scale. Climate change and land grabbing in africa environmental. Land grab in africa threatens food security voice of. Land grab without compensation could affect all in sa. Although temperate regions and higher latitude zones may get benefits of agricultural productivity. Research in ethiopia, ghana, mali, mozambique, senegal and tanzania indicate that land grabbing is currently a big challenge for african countries because of.
Since 2000, foreign governments and corporations have bought or leased over 56 million hectares in africa, an area almost the size of kenya. But is land grabbing over, in mozambique and across africa and the rest of the developing world. Africa is a particular focus for this investment explosion because of the perception that there is plenty of cheap land and labour available, as well as a favourable climate, mr. Nov 05, 2015 in spite of the existing yield gaps, press releases about land grabs, especially chinese land acquisitions in africa, have boomed recently, especially since the sharp increase in international.
A report issued jointly by the groups polaris and the oakland institute entitled land grab leaves africa thirsty, warns that if all the 40 million hectares of land that were acquired on the continent in 2009 come under cultivation, a staggering volume of water would be required for irrigation. The article argues that a human rights approach is fundamental to reconcile the sustainable development imperatives of economic development and environmental protection in the. Powerful actors will attempt to maintain patrimonial control by developing creative counterstrategies to change. The outcome of a collaboration between iied, fao and ifad, the report discusses key trends and drivers in land acquisitions, the contractual arrangements underpinning them and the way these are negotiated, and the early impacts on land access for rural people in recipient countries. For example, it shows that almost nine percent of africas total area of arable land has changed owners since 2000. Land grabbing, sustainable development and human rights. Displacement and dispossession through land grabbing in.
Africa s land problem, and the implementation of south africa s land reform program. Land grabbing is c learly linked to the longterm insecurity of land rights in africa indeed this is the pri me reason that many deals have been abl e to go ahead in the first place, without. Over the last decade, foodimporting nations and private companies have purchased land in poorer states, including in africa. The problem of land grabbing in contemporary kenya jacqueline m. Preventing landgrabbing in af rica as the international community joins hands to stop the threat of the ebola virus, bahati jacques of africa faith and justice network, a catholic advocacy organization based in washington dc, would like to also shine some light, stop and prevent another serious and rapidly growing threat to africa s future. In the recent years we see the fast growing phenomena of land grabbing across the world. Read more afriforum lays charges against malema for land grab. For at least 2,000 pastoralists the projects would spell doom.
Land in south africa has always been a bone of contention. The intensity of the land grab in countries with weak property rights especially an absence of land rights. In the 2000s, africa became a grabbers hotspot, following global concerns over food security and fuel supplies. The collection of cases cover nearly 35 million hectares of land in 66 countries, providing a stark snapshot of how agribusiness is expanding across the globe and how it is taking food production out of the hands of farmers and local communities. The discovery of the cleared land brought the realization that the battle against land grabbing and community disempowerment was no longer just happening in other countries but also in ghana. The investors had not acted on their promise to create jobs for youth and help grow the city of. Modern land grabs in africa cons, country, life, speak. Feb 23, 2012 grain launches a new data set documenting 416 recent, largescale land grabs by foreign investors for the production of food crops. Huge farming acreages ploughed by machinery dont work in arid climates like much of the sahel region of africa where a lot of this land grabbing takes place.
The investors had not acted on their promise to create jobs for youth and help grow the city of more than 4 million, he said. It was established in 1939 and has been renovated in 1979. This book provides a critical appraisal of the growing phenomenon of land grabbing in af rica. Land grabbing in africa, the new colonialism this is africa. Biofuels, land grabbing and food security in africa diva portal. Alluding to assessments that south africa was doing what zimbabwe did before its land grab crisis and subsequent economic crash, ramaphosa said that south africa has learnt from the experiences of other countries, and will not make the same mistakes that other countries have made. Land is central to boost productivity, alleviate poverty and eradicate hunger, and everyone is looking for solutions to the current problems hindering agricultural growth on the continent. In spite of the existing yield gaps, press releases about land grabs, especially chinese land acquisitions in africa, have boomed recently, especially since the sharp increase in international. Jun 24, 20 land concentration, land grabbing and peoples struggles in europe. It is way past the time for civil society to make this a major priority. When the dutch arrived in the cape in the 1650s the acquisition of land began.