Land grab or development opportunity?
Land is central to the livelihoods, culture and identity of millions of people across the developing world. But there is growing concern that people’s connection to their land is being undermined. Over the past few years, large-scale acquisitions of farmland in Africa, Asia and Latin America have made headlines in media reports across the world. Lands that only a short time ago seemed of little outside interest are now being sought by international investors to the tune of hundreds of thousands of hectares. Private sector expectations of higher world food and commodity prices, mainly linked to projected demographic growth, and government concerns about longer-term national food and energy security have both made land a more attractive asset.
Dubbed ‘land grabs’ in the media, land-based investments have kindled much international debate. Some commentators have welcomed this trend as a bearer of new livelihood opportunities in lower-income countries. Others have raised concerns about negative social impacts, including loss of local rights to land, water and other natural resources; threats to local food security; and the risk that large-scale investments marginalise family farmers.
Decisions taken now will have major repercussions for the livelihoods and food security of many people for decades to come. Large land deals will have lasting implications for the future of agriculture, including the role of agribusiness and family farming. There is a need for vigorous public debate, internationally and in recipient countries.
To support such a debate, IIED and partners have been generating evidence on a range of strategic issues concerning land-based investments.
More information can also be found on the Legal tools for citizen empowerment website.
Flyer presenting IIED’s published work on ‘The global land rush and agricultural investment’
IIED Briefing paper: Agricultural land acquisitions: a lens on Southeast Asia
IIED Briefing paper: The global land rush: what the evidence reveals about scale and geography
Lorenzo Cotula, Emily Polack
Joint ventures in agriculture: Lessons from land reform projects in South Africa
Edward Lahiff, Nerhene Davis, Tshililo Manenzhe
IIED Briefing paper: Farms and funds: investment funds in the global land rush
Abbi Buxton, Mark Campanale, Lorenzo Cotula
Community-investor business models: Lessons from the oil palm sector in East Malaysia
Fadzilah Majid Cooke, Sumei Toh, Justine Vaz
IIED Briefing paper: Are land deals driving ‘water grabs’?
Jamie Skinner, Lorenzo Cotula
IIED Briefing paper: REDD+: Ready to engage private investors?
IIED Briefing paper: Biomass energy: Another driver of land acquisitions?
Lorenzo Cotula, Lynn Finnegan, Duncan Macqueen
Land deals in Africa: What is in the contracts?
Alternatives to land acquisitions: Agricultural investment and collaborative business models
Lorenzo Cotula and Rebeca Leonard
Making the most of agricultural investment: A survey of business models that provide opportunities for smallholders
Lorenzo Cotula and Sonja Vermeulen
Biofuels, land access and rural livelihoods in Mozambique
Isilda Nhantumbo, Alda Salomão
Biofuels, land access and rural livelihoods in Tanzania
Emmanuel Sulle, Fred Nelson
IIED Briefing Paper
`Land grabs' in Africa: can the deals work for development?
Lorenzo Cotula, Sonja Vermeulen
Land grab or development opportunity? Agricultural investment and international land deals in Africa
Lorenzo Cotula, Sonja Vermeulen, Rebeca Leonard, James Keeley