A threat to global food security
Land grabbing - the purchase or lease of land by wealthy, food-insecure nations and private investors from mostly poor, developing nations in order to produce food crops for export - is gaining momentum. Some international financial institutions and the governments of some of the wealthier nations argue that, with proper regulation, the land grab can turn into a win-win situation for all concerned. This is unlikely. The investors have a clear agenda for promoting large-scale industrial farming, which brings with it the inevitable loss of small farms, pasture lands and local ecosystems. It is probable that the projects that are being negotiated will exacerbate food insecurity among the rural poor and dispossess traditional rural communities, whose knowledge and farming systems will be invaluable as the global climate crisis worsens.
Sue Branford
GRAIN
Barcelona, Spain
Sue@grain.org