The surge in large-scale commercial interest in land by domestic, international, private, and public actors has prompted a wide variety of stakeholders to consider how such investments may contribute to, rather than erode, local development priorities. The emerging body of evidence points to the significant risks of negative impacts on: access to and control over natural resources, household economies, food security, human rights, and the environment.
Land Rights
The purchase and lease of vast tracts of land from poor, developing countries by wealthier nations and international private investors has led to debate about whether land investment is a tool for development or force of displacement.
The Facts:
Over the last four years, there has been a significant increase in land-based investment, both in terms of the number of investment projects and the total land area allocated. Industrialized nations and private foreign investors have driven demand for arable land in developing regions, particularly in Africa, but also in South America, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. Governments are interested in the lands for purposes of food security and biofuel production. Both governments and private investors are attracted by policy reforms that have improved the investment climate in developing countries, as well as arbitrage opportunities afforded by the extremely low cost of leasing land in these regions.
While only fractions of arable land in developing regions are being used for agriculture, demand for strategic swats next to irrigation and shipping sites is growing with greater investment. These areas and other lands are frequently in use even though occupants’ have no legal rights to the land or access to legal institutions. As demand for land assets increases and governments and multilateral institutions promote investment in national lands, displacement and affected livelihoods are becoming serious sources of international concern.
What we are doing about it:
Media coverage of land acquisitions has been sparse and lacking in investigative detail. The Oakland Institute is committed to increasing transparency about land deals including the terms of negotiation, theoretical consequences of investment, real impact on the ground, and ultimate impact on development in several African countries.
After decades of limited interest in agriculture in developing countries, foreign direct investment (FDI) in agriculture is on the rise. In recent years, over 4 million hectares (ha) of land have been requested by foreign investors for both agrofuel and food production in Tanzania. Though a small portion of these (70,000 ha) had actually been formally leased as of December 2010, this confirms Tanzania as a very attractive country for foreign investors seeking to grow food and agrofuels for export.
Phase two of our research on land grabs reveals how bad energy policies and development agendas contribute to famine and conflict in Africa.
Pages
May 22, 2013
The Oakland Institute is a policy think tank that has been studying land investment deals in Africa over the last 5 years to assess the development potential of agricultural investments.
For the last 2 years, we maintained a focus on Herakles Farms’ 73,000 ha palm oil project in the southwest region of Cameroon.
Despite facing local opposition from the very start, Herakles Farms’ public site misleadingly brands its forthcoming plantation with phrases such as “sustainable,” “poverty reduction,” and “environmentally benign.”
Quick Facts:
56 million – total hectares of land (nearly the size of France) acquired in the developing world by international governments and investors since 2008.
70% of the population – in sub-Saharan Africa lives on their traditional lands that, because of colonial heritage, are classified as state lands in independent Africa. This is why governments believe that they can give away their land without consultation or legal redress.
$1 per hectare per year – the cost to private investors and foreign governments of leasing land in Ethiopia in 2008.
Recent Media
May 22, 2013
May 1, 2013
