By Lorenzo Cotula, Principal Researcher for the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
The commodity slump has cooled the global land rush. But land rights are still under pressure, requiring action at local to global levels.
By Ruth Hall, Associate Professor, Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, University of the Western Cape, and Ian Scoones, Professorial Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex
By Sarah Logan and Mallory Baxter
African cities are rapidly expanding as the number of urban residents rises due to rural-urban migration and population growth. Ad hoc urban expansion contributes to an increase in unplanned settlements, urban poverty and inequality, and constraints on new residents, who are attempting to secure access to adequate housing, property rights, employment, and basic services.
By Diana Suhardiman and Emily Koo
Laos has conceded a significant amount of land to foreign investors, with estimates placing 15% of the country’s land under foreign control. Such land concessions, or the granting of rights to land, are positioned by the government as critical to economic growth and poverty reduction.
By Kaitlin Y. Cordes and Sam Szoke-Burke
How should governments address the concerns of their citizens tied to land investments? And do their legal obligations constrain their options for doing so?
New research examining the geographical coverage of international investment treaties raises concern about how they might affect public action to address 'land grabbing'.
It is increasingly clear that the international legal arrangements governing the global economy can have direct implications for land governance.
New research examining the geographical coverage of international investment treaties raises concern about how they might affect public action to address 'land grabbing'.
It is increasingly clear that the international legal arrangements governing the global economy can have direct implications for land governance.
Increased investment in agriculture is critical. In a world confronting anticipated increases in food demand arising from a growing world population and changing diets, as well as potential decreases in food supply due to climatic changes and water scarcity, agricultural investment will prove crucial to addressing food security needs in the future. In addition, increased agricultural investment can help accelerate sustainable development in some countries, potentially bringing capital, jobs, and other benefits.
Large-scale investments in agriculture and forestry have far-reaching implications for the lives of affected individuals and communities. They are also an integral part of efforts by national governments to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improve the governance of land resources. Despite their significance, these “land deals” and the contracts that govern them are often cloaked in secrecy, removed from relevant spheres of public scrutiny and debate.