Positive investment alternatives to large-scale land acquisitions or leases

Original_positive_investment

Transnational Institute | June 2012

Positive Investment Alternatives to Large-Scale Land Acquisitions or Leases

Sylvia Kay

Large-scale land acquisitions or leases, also referred to as ‘land grabs’, have multiplied in the wake of the food, energy and financial crisis.

Welcomed by leading international financial institutions, multilateral agricultural organisations, and mega philanthropy for bringing in much needed investment to neglected rural areas, these land deals represent instances of investment in only the narrowest terms. Once the notion of investment is expanded to include not just financial but also human, social, natural and physical capital, it is clear that these land deals represent instances of appropriation rather than investment.

Adopting a political economy and rights based approach, this paper examines a range of positive alternative investments which strengthen the right to food, re-valorise agricultural work, and build up ecological capital. In all of these it is small-scale farmers who are the main protagonists, if not the main investors. Rather than seeking to discipline large-scale land acquisitions or leases through voluntary codes of conduct, it is these positive alternative investments that need strengthening. States can play a constructive role here through supportive public policies. A broader social movement based on the principles of food sovereignty and agrarian reform can help in moving the debate beyond the defence of land towards a realization of the conditions necessary to sustain farming futures.

application/pdf iconPositive Investment Alternatives [PDF, 852KB]


Sylvia Kay
Research assistant

Sylvia Kay joined the Agrarian Justice team of TNI in October 2011. She works as a research assistant on a wide range of issues including land grabbing, water, and agricultural investment. She holds a BA in International Relations and Sociology from the University of Sussex and an MSc in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She currently lives in The Hague, The Netherlands.

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