Understanding Land Grabs

This section includes good introductory level fact sheets compiled by several key organizations that are working to raise awareness of land grabs

 

“Seized! GRAIN Briefing Annex: The 2008 land grabbers for food and financial security”
GRAIN’s Briefing Annex details in a table who the main perpetrators in the global land grab are (including countries involved), whether or not there is a public/private partnership, and what the land’s intended use is.

“Understanding Land Investment Deals in Africa” FAQs on How Land Grabs Contribute to Hunger and Conflict”
Oakland Institute’s FAQ sheet addresses some of the common questions and misconceptions about land acquisition deals in Africa. Some of the issues explained include how land grabs create violent conflict, how U.S. and E.U. energy policy encourage land grabs, and how Africa’s water resources are being impacted by the practice. In addition, the piece also details what is being done about land grabs.

“Today’s Global Land Grab for Food Production: Some Frequently Asked Questions”
GRAIN has compiled a land grab “FAQ” sheet which details who exactly is grabbing land, which multilaterals are funding the practice (such as the World Bank and African Development Bank), which private sector firms are involved, roughly how many hectares are being attained, and what the U.S. can do to stop it. The FAQ sheet also includes links to additional educational resources on land grabs.

“Land Grabbing and the Global Food Crisis”
GRAIN’s slideshow presentation, in addition to including information on who is land grabbing, and naming the investment firms responsible (as detailed by the other factsheets in this section), also includes information showing the status of the projects (whether they are in the planning stages or have begun production), and includes revealing graphs detailing statistics of farmland controlled by foreigners for agri-food production.

“US Land Grab Backgrounder”
This backgrounder from NFFC is the first in a series that will focus on the impact of non?farmer investment in farmland, both in the U.S. and internationally.

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