The global biofuel production has been rapidly increasing since 2007-08 and with it the new demand for land, which has a strong focus on Africa as it has weak land rights protection. Most foreign investors, who intend to buy land for the biofuel production take advantage of the lack of proper property rights in several African countries. Therefore, many of the rural poor, who depend on land for their living, suffer from expulsion or dispossession. In summary, it can be said that the formalization of land titles only serves the poor, when secondary rights as for example for women, herders or migrants, are respected by the state or the foreign investors when allocating, buying or leasing land. In addition, during the processes of allocating, buying or leasing land, the state as well as the foreign investor should give whole local communities (not only local elites) the possibility to negotiate over the future use of the land they tilled for years. From the four land tenure reforms outlined, where land based wealth and power transfers occurs, the two best possible solutions, which serve the poor, would be the redistribution and the distribution of land. In my opinion, the preferable one of this two solutions is distribution as this solution is less conflict-prone. In the present paper two case studies are used to show how (as in the case of Ghana) local elites or foreign investors make decisions without consulting local communities or, that simply changing laws or introduce policies is not enough to protect the land rights of the affected local communities (as in the case of Mozambique). Even if local communities are compensated for loss of their land rights, many agreements between communities and investors emphasize one-off compensations rather than long-term benefit sharing, such as job creation or leasing incomes and the agreements usually involve very small payments compared to for example the value of the forest concessions acquired by investors.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and Background
1.1 Current Large-scale Land Investments
1.2 Insecure Land Rights Attract International Investors
1.3 Land Grab or a Chance for Agricultural Development in Developing Countries?
1.4 Structure and Research Question of the Seminar Paper
2. Eviction of the Rural Poor in Sub-Saharan Africa due to Large-Scale Land Investments
3. Sub-Saharan Africa as one of the most Attractive Regions for Investors - Sell out of African Lands
3.1 Land Tenure in Africa
3.2 Major Trends of Land Tenure throughout the African Continent
4. Towards a “Modern” System of Land Tenure?
4.1 Registering of Land Titles
4.2 An Inductive Approach instead of Private Property Rights
4.3 Land Tenure Reforms
4.3.1 Redistribution
4.3.2 Distribution
4.3.3 Non-(re)distribution
4.3.4 (Re)Concentration
5. The Best Possible Solution Concerning Land Tenure which Serves the Rural Poor during Big Land Deals by Foreign Investors
6. Case studies
6.1 Ghana: A rather Bad Example on the Cultivation of Jatropha Curcas through an Investor from Norway for Biofuel Production
6.2 Mozambique: An (at least on paper) Positive Example in Establishing Safeguards for Local Land Rights
7. The Responsibility of the Foreign Investors towards the Rural Poor
8. What is Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI)?
9. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to identify the most effective strategies for securing land rights for the rural poor in sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring they remain protected against unfavorable land acquisitions by foreign investors. The study investigates how current large-scale land investments contribute to the displacement of vulnerable populations and evaluates various land tenure reforms to propose sustainable, pro-poor solutions.
- Analysis of the global drivers behind large-scale land acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Examination of legal and customary land tenure systems and their inherent insecurities.
- Evaluation of land registration and property rights frameworks as potential protection mechanisms.
- Comparative case study research focusing on biofuel production in Ghana and Mozambique.
- Critical review of Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) initiatives and their actual impact on local communities.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Current Large-scale Land Investments
A main factor for the recent, worldwide rise in land acquisitions is the 2007-08 global food price crisis, when investors and governments realized that agriculture is a fundamental determinant in the future (see Borras & Franco 2010: 4; Oxfam 2011: 2). However, several other factors can be observed that explain why land investments become increasingly important for governments and international investors alike. One factor is the growing world population, which is excepted to grow from seven billion in 2011 to nine billion by 2050. The global economy demanding more scarce natural and agricultural resources make up another essential factor, as it is excepted to triple by 2050. Additionally, diets worldwide are changing to more land-intensive products, such as animal proteins and convenience foods. It is expected that production will double by 2050, increasing the land area under cultivation worldwide to 24 million hectares.
As the demand of food will increase rapidly and constantly it will need to be met by land resources. However, land resources are under increasing pressure from climate change or water depletion, as well as through biofuel production, carbon sequestration and forest conservation, timber production, and non-food-crops (see Oxfam 2011: 7). Another factor which should not be overlooked is the oncoming oil peak, which creates powerful incentives for companies to acquire land for the production of crops for biofuel (see Graham et al. 2009/10: 20; Hall & Paradza 2011/12: 12).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction and Background: Introduces the global trends driving large-scale land acquisitions and defines the research scope regarding land tenure security in sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Eviction of the Rural Poor in Sub-Saharan Africa due to Large-Scale Land Investments: Examines how the lack of formal land recognition leaves small-scale farmers vulnerable to displacement and how investments often exacerbate local food insecurity.
3. Sub-Saharan Africa as one of the most Attractive Regions for Investors - Sell out of African Lands: Discusses why vast areas of untitled land make the continent highly attractive to foreign investors and the limitations of current land titling practices.
4. Towards a “Modern” System of Land Tenure?: Analyzes various attempts to formalize land tenure, including registration and institutional reforms, while questioning whether these truly benefit the rural poor.
5. The Best Possible Solution Concerning Land Tenure which Serves the Rural Poor during Big Land Deals by Foreign Investors: Synthesizes previous findings to argue for specific land tenure reforms that prioritize the protection of local populations over market-driven investments.
6. Case studies: Presents empirical evidence through the negative example of biofuel cultivation in Ghana and the regulatory safeguards attempted in Mozambique.
7. The Responsibility of the Foreign Investors towards the Rural Poor: Explores the role of corporate responsibility and the limitations of voluntary codes of conduct in protecting human rights.
8. What is Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI)?: Provides a critical assessment of the World Bank-led RAI principles and explores why many civil society organizations view them as inadequate.
9. Conclusion: Summarizes the key findings and reaffirms the necessity of prioritizing distributive land reforms and community consultation to prevent dispossession.
Keywords
Land Grabbing, Biofuel Production, Sub-Saharan Africa, Land Tenure, Property Rights, Rural Poor, Food Sovereignty, Agricultural Investment, Dispossession, Customary Land Rights, RAI Principles, Land Reform, Displacement, Community Consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the impact of large-scale land acquisitions, particularly for biofuel production, on the land rights of the rural poor in sub-Saharan Africa.
What are the central themes addressed in the work?
The study centers on land tenure security, the effectiveness of various land reform strategies, the human rights implications of corporate land deals, and the role of agricultural investment frameworks.
What is the main research question?
The author seeks to determine the best possible solutions to secure land rights for the rural population so that they are protected from unfavorable deals with foreign investors.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The work utilizes a qualitative approach, incorporating a literature review of existing land tenure studies and conducting a comparative analysis of specific case studies in Ghana and Mozambique.
What topics are covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the drivers of the global land rush, the nature of customary vs. statutory land systems, the four types of land reforms (redistribution, distribution, non-redistribution, re-concentration), and an analysis of investor responsibility.
How would you characterize this work using key concepts?
The work is characterized by the tension between economic "modernization" of land use and the preservation of human rights, land sovereignty, and food security for smallholder farmers.
What specifically happened in the Ghana case study?
The Ghana study highlights a case where an illiterate local chief was coerced into a land deal, leading to the displacement of small farmers and the destruction of important economic trees without providing the promised long-term benefits.
What findings does the paper present regarding Mozambique's land laws?
The paper concludes that while Mozambique has established legal safeguards for community consultation, these are often bypassed or undermined by power asymmetries and political pressure to favor foreign investments.
Why does the author criticize the RAI principles?
The author argues that RAI principles are voluntary codes of conduct that fail to address the fundamental power imbalances, serving more as a public relations tool for investors than as a real protection for local communities.
- Quote paper
- Martina Schöb (Author), 2012, The Global Biofuel Production and its impact on the Land Tenure of the Rural Poor, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/213192
