Abstract
During 2008, the emergence of “land grabbing” (the purchase or long-term lease of vast tracts of land from mostly poor, developing countries by wealthier, food-insecure nations as well as private entities to produce food for export) has raised deep concern over food security and rural agricultural development. This paper investigates land grabbing within the context of the global food crisis and the ways in which foreign investment in developing country land markets impacts land reform agendas and other policies to promote food security. While many argue that the establishment of a conducive investment environment is necessary to stimulate agricultural production, there is a pressing need to study the implications of increased foreign private control over crucial food-producing lands. By critically analyzing the combination of factors motivating this trend and the potential effects of such investments on agricultural production, this chapter incites important discussion about the role of the private sector in promoting—or hindering—global food security.
Land is not just a resource to be exploited, but a crucial vehicle for the achievement of improved socioeconomic, biological, and physical environments.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 1999
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Notes
- 1.
IFPRI’s April 2009 publication, “Land grabbing by foreign investors in developing countries: risks and opportunities,” calls for a code of conduct both for foreign investors and the host countries in order to protect the interests of small farmers, as well as address environmental concerns on biodiversity and water and land resources stemming from the impact of large-scale farmland investments.
- 2.
According to the International Land Coalition (ILO).
- 3.
While the World Bank (IBRD and IDA) provides credit and non-lending assistance to governments, the IFC provides loans and equity financing, advice, and technical services to the private sector. The IFC is one of the fastest growing institutions in the World Bank Group and has many important investments to improve local private sector companies, but its projects have often been carried through at the expense of physical and economic displacement for thousands. Source: Bank Information Center (BIC).
- 4.
FIAS had its start as an IFC program, following a 1985 request from the Chinese government for advice on their foreign investment legislation. FIAS is now funded by IFC, MIGA, and the World Bank, as well as bilateral donor partners. It includes staff from each of the three WBG organizations.
- 5.
AGRA is already backed with a US$ 150 million start-up grant from the Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, and ex-secretary-general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, serves as its chairman.
- 6.
See compilation of sources from the Oakland Institute: “Voices from Africa,” an online clearinghouse to share information on and promote alternatives to the New Green Revolution in Africa: http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/voicesfromafrica.
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Daniel, S. (2011). Land Grabbing and Potential Implications for World Food Security. In: Behnassi, M., Shahid, S., D'Silva, J. (eds) Sustainable Agricultural Development. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0519-7_2
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