The amount of land being taken in africa to meet europes increasing demand for biofuels is underestimated and out of control, this investigation reveals. In africa, one in three people endure water scarcity and climate change will make things worse. China, india and saudi arabia are trying to secure their food supply by leasing waterrich african land but the strategy could backfire. Pdf new land grab in papua new guinea researchgate. Aug 01, 2010 the amount of land being taken in africa to meet europes increasing demand for biofuels is underestimated and out of control, this investigation reveals. Apr 11, 2018 in this short video expert historian scott balson exposes the myth behind the land claims of the anc and eff in south africa. The case studies reveal key features that characterize how the global land grab plays out in specific localities in africa. Access to land provides food and livelihoods for billions of people around the world, but as the availability of fertile land and water is threatened by climate change, mismanagement and consumption patterns, demand for land has been increasing.
The great african land grab agricultural investments and. Kojo sebastian amanor, university of ghana, author of land and sustainable development in africa this book should be top of the reading list for anyone new to the topic of land grabbing, and also provides a very timely and interesting summary of recent scholarship for those already engaged in the study of land in africa. Such deals are hardly ever winwin situations, 99% of foreign. Building on africas highly sophisticated indigenous water management systems could help resolve this growing crisis, but these very systems are being destroyed by largescale land grabs amidst claims that africas water is abundant, underutilised and ready to. A number of african governments are now looking for ways to address this problem, and the african union last year signed up to the nairobi action plan to tackle. Stop africa land grab the global movement to rollback africa. Aug 07, 2016 south africas white minority warned they face uprising and zimbabwestyle land grab south africas white minority has been warned that they face an uprising if they fail to make urgent. Gaming guide for south africans unsuspecting site that provides information about online casinos and gambling online that is a strong advocate of. European involvement in land grabbing with a particular look at uganda. Researchers plot 4 outcomes for land expropriation without. Please check out my channel by clicking on loving life and subscribing.
Land grabbing is the contentious issue of largescale land acquisitions. Microgaming a strong opponent land grab and and well known company with a strong and prominent presence in south africa. Twenty years after the end of apartheid, most of south africas land is still whiteowned and the ruling african national congress anc party. Modern land grabs in africa crime, country, life, cost user name. Annan and other african leaders highlighted the growing threat to african food security and prosperity from unfettered land grabs. In 2009, the african union adopted the framework and guidelines on land policy in africa, which calls on states to ensure equitable access to land and recognizes the role of colonization in cementing patriarchy in land ownership laws by conferring title and inheritance rights on male family members and permitting discrimination against. Pdf the great african land grab download full pdf book. In this part, we will outline the motivations and key players driving these investments. Oct 27, 2010 a continent wide policy framework for land grabbing is expected to be discussed ahead of a meeting this week of african union au agriculture ministers in malawis capital lilongwe. Kojo sebastian amanor, associate professor at the institute of african studies, university of ghana, legon, and author of land and sustainable development in africa this book should be top of the reading list for anyone new to the topic of land grabbing, and also provides a very timely and interesting summary of recent scholarship for those. Cheap land and fairly easy access to water make africa attractive for industrial agriculture. Odusola over the past decade, largescale land acquisition in africa has become quite intense, especially in drc, ethiopia, madagascar, mozambique, sudan, tanzania and zambia. Malema assures whites land grabbing will be a peaceful.
Jul 05, 2012 in the 1970s the world was coming to an end. Stop africa land grab the global movement to rollback. The land matrix records more than 1,000 deals covering 26. South africa passes land expropriations bill south. Request pdf on jan 2, 2015, edward lahiff and others published the great african land grab. Newcastle economic freedom fighters leader julius malema has remained defiant in his call for black south africans to take back unoccupied land.
In this short video expert historian scott balson exposes the myth behind the land claims of the anc and eff in south africa. Africa land grab recent articles and reports on african. South africas white minority warned they face uprising. Its becoming unavoidable, its becoming inevitable, said malema. In 19 the british government of the day dropped a further bombshell when it introduced the native land act whereby it barred african peoples from purchasing land anywhere other than in the declared african reserves and also restricted their rights to live on white owned farms. Movement and advocators of giving the land back to the people in africa.
Click here to view pdf document for land grabbing in africa. The first people to lose their land at the cape were the khoi who used it to graze their animals. Us universities in africa land grab this article is more than 8 years old institutions including harvard and vanderbilt reportedly use hedge funds. Malema assures whites land grabbing will be a peaceful process. The oakland institute and polaris institute sound an alarm for africas water supply investors see africa as an uncrowded space of opportunities, and the prospect of accessing abundant water resources is a focal point in business plans. Land grabs leave africa thirsty read the press release. Exposing the land grab myth in south africa youtube. Talk of a global land grab first took off in 2008, when food prices on international markets spiked due to a boom in biofuels and growing asian consumption of meat and dairy, setting off. African agriculture, rather than simply being affected by highpublicity land deals which may affect only a relatively small portion of land and people is closely related to other sectors health, transport, education, credit, etc. Meanwhile, white south africans, who constitute 9 percent of the countrys population, directly own 23. G8 members identified development assistance funding aligned behind these nations own country investment plans. Lorenzo cotula is a senior researcher and team leader at the international institute for environment and development iied, where he works on land and on natural resource investment in lowerincome countries. Currently, though land is the most important and valuable asset across rural african societies, 90 percent of rural land is undocumented, according to world bank estimates. Famines in bangladesh, the sahel and ethiopia seemed to prove malthus finally right.
Jul 11, 20 in recent years, largescale land acquisitions in africa have stoked controversy, making headlines across the world. A new law that has focused attention on land issues will allow the government to expropriate land for restitution where negotiations on a willing buyer, willing seller basis fail. The scale and impact of land grabbing for agrofuels. Sa needs zimbabwestyle land expropriation without compensation. The increased interest by foreign investors in african land and the media in the race to it. Land grabs where land traditionally used by local communities is leased or sold to outside. Jul 15, 2000 zimbabwe land grab begins hundreds of farms have been illegally occupied the government in zimbabwe has launched the final phase of its controversial plans to take over whiteowned farms and redistribute them to black peasant farmers. The research looks at 11 african countries and finds at least five million hectares of land is being acquired by foreign companies to produce biofuels mainly for the european market. Sep 26, 20 malema assures whites land grabbing will be a peaceful process. Jun 25, 2010 however, since african governments are partnering with foreign investors in the land grab, onlookers are left to question if this is another case of corrupt african leaders selling their citizens. Agricultural investment and the global food system. Responding to land grabbing and promoting responsible. This is tnis second draft of our popular primer on land grabbing.
Mozambique farmland is prize in land grab fever villagers say theyre getting a raw deal as companies rush to buy up african land to form megafarms. That leaves farmers without the security, stability, and longterm commitment to the land that secure and documented land rights can bring. New land grab in papua new guinea article pdf available in pacific studies 3423. While used broadly throughout history, land grabbing as used today primarily refers to largescale land acquisitions following the. Jan 04, 2016 currently, though land is the most important and valuable asset across rural african societies, 90 percent of rural land is undocumented, according to world bank estimates. Some firms are explicit that they are as much agricultural land investors as they are investors in water supplies. These african countries participating in the new alliance have committed to major policy changes that open doors to more private sector trade and investment, such as strengthening property rights, supporting seed investments, and opening trade opportunities.
Dubbed land grabs in the media, largescale land acquisitions have become one of the most talked about and contentious topics amongst those studying, working in or writing about africa. Up for grabs the scale and impact of land grabbing. South africa passes land expropriations bill south africa. Some commentators have welcomed this corporate and government action in response to security and food shortage fears, others have countered by pointing to its.
When the dutch arrived in the cape in the 1650s the acquisition of land began. Agricultural investments and the global food system find, read and cite all the research you need on. A report issued jointly by the groups polaris and the oakland institute entitled land grab leaves africa thirsty, warns that if all the 40 million hectares of land that were acquired on the continent in 2009 come under cultivation, a staggering volume of water would be required for irrigation. Emphasising the need to go beyond the land grab issue and its direct consequences. Population growth was outstripping food supplies, food prices. The investors had not acted on their promise to create jobs for youth and help grow the city of. New south african president wants to seize land from white. Most of these deals cultivate pure food crops, and crops that have multiple uses, such as oil seeds. Land in south africa has always been a bone of contention. In other cases african leaders even mean well, but they simply seem to be utterly naive and uninformed, falling for the lies and empty promises of asians, americans, and europeans again.
Righting landgrab wrongs in a bid to increase confidence in agriculture in zimbabwe, the government is now looking at compensating farmers who lost their land during the expropriation which started in 2000. Nigerian parliament condemns land grab by chinese firms. The case studies illustrate that african states are also complicit in the massive land grabbing by actively participating in isolated development while excluding the local communities. Cape town the ancs policy decision on land expropriation without compensation could result in four possible outcomes, according to a paper by wandile sihlobo, theo boshoff and sifiso ntombela, researchers at the agricultural business chamber agbiz in the paper, they explore alternative legal theory which could relate to land expropriation and compensation. Land grabbing, however, is an issue of concern that is broader than foreign land. The government in zimbabwe has launched the final phase of its controversial plans to take over whiteowned farms and redistribute them to black peasant farmers. African land grab could lead to future water conflicts. What do we know about the chinese land grab in africa. Modern land grabs in africa crime, country, life, cost. However, since african governments are partnering with foreign investors in the land grab, onlookers are left to question if this is another case of corrupt african leaders selling their citizens. The land issue in zimbabwe is the elephant in the room and it remains a tragic fact that sixteen years later not only have the dispossessed farmers not been compensated but the very people who grabbed the land remain unable to produce 80% of the food we eat. After consultation with the african farmers regional platforms, three studies that relate to aaa.
A continent wide policy framework for land grabbing is expected to be discussed ahead of a meeting this week of african union au agriculture ministers in malawis capital lilongwe. Some groups critical of bill allowing compulsory purchase in public interest that ruling anc says will tackle injustice. A number of african governments are now looking for ways to address this problem, and the african union last year signed up to the nairobi action plan to tackle some of. Stop africa land grab is a nonprofit for the african people. South africas white minority warned they face uprising and zimbabwestyle land grab south africas white minority has been warned that they face an uprising if they fail to make urgent. The investors had not acted on their promise to create jobs for youth and help grow the city of more than 4 million, he said.
Lorenzo undertakes research, capacity building, policy advocacy and advisory work at. Feb 22, 2018 meanwhile, white south africans, who constitute 9 percent of the countrys population, directly own 23. And in may 2012, the africa progress report of kofi annan and other african leaders highlighted the growing threat to african food security and prosperity from unfettered land grabs. The drivers of this new land rush are numerous but come down to three major factors. Extend land certification to all rural land holders june 2015refine land law, if necessary, to encourage longterm land leasing and strengthen contract enforcement for commercial farms dec. Hunger, food security, and the african land grab ethics. Jun 14, 2012 mozambique farmland is prize in land grab fever villagers say theyre getting a raw deal as companies rush to buy up african land to form megafarms. Jun 08, 2011 us universities in africa land grab this article is more than 8 years old institutions including harvard and vanderbilt reportedly use hedge funds to buy land in deals that may force farmers out. Apr 06, 2016 i have watched various documentaries on land grabs in modern africa recently, it is really amazing that various african countries all but sell huge parts of their land in the case of liberia already about half of the land to the chinese, malaysians etc. A similar program of land redistribution was carried out by thenzimbabwean president robert mugabe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Missing the big picture in challenging africas land grab. Gaming guide for south africans unsuspecting site that provides information about online casinos and gambling online that is a strong advocate of rolling back rightful land to african s. Investors see africa as an uncrowded space of opportunities, and the prospect of accessing abundant water resources is a focal point in business plans. Although land acquisitions by local elites is a phenomenon largely unknown by the public, empirical studies reveal that, like land grab by foreign investors, this type of land grab threatens vulnerable groups access to livelihoods resources.
1447 120 1218 469 1395 1445 39 307 250 887 1440 1075 322 402 221 325 551 1177 816 789 1336 433 1448 1121 90 805 594 1185