In this thesis, I will explain the background and facts about the actors of land grabbing, the affected citizens and their environment. With the help of selected sources, I would like to analyze the new form of land grabbing to secure agricultural commodities, as well as the individual focal points and their motives.
Since the end of 2007/beginning of 2008, the term "land grabbing" or "neo-colonialism" has been in the public eye. In the focus of those critics, rich large corporations from Europe, the USA, India and the Gulf States are conquering land of low-development countries and displacing their inhabitants. Some see "land grabbing" as a great opportunity to create new momentum for change and a new dynamic. But opposition to land grabbing is strong, and rarely has an international issue been as controversial as this one. Land grabbing is intended to serve the economy in both import and export. This includes, among other things, the exchange of goods, the creation of jobs and the associated food security. It is a topic that polarizes.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. State of the research
3. General Framework
3.1 Explanation of terms
3.2 Extent of Land Grabbing
3.3 Motivations for Land Grabbing
3.3.1 Food
3.3.2 Energy
3.3.3 Money
3.4 The Actors
3.4.1 Investors
3.4.2 Provider
3.4.3 International Organizations
4. The problems of land grabbing
4.1 Unequal balance of power
4.2 Controversial interpretation of land use
4.3 Scarce natural resources
4.4 Impacts on smallholder farmers and women
4.5 Lack of transparency
4.6 Corruption in the land sector
5. A look at some case studies
5.1 Ethiopia
5.1.1 Situation before the trend
5.1.2 Land grabbing in Ethiopia
5.1.3 Impact on the people
5.1.4 Land grabbing and dependency
5.2 Argentina
5.2.1 Situation before the trend
5.2.2 Land grabbing in Argentina
5.2.3 Impact on the people
5.2.4 Land grabbing and dependency
6. Conscious consumption
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
The primary objective of this work is to analyze the phenomenon of "land grabbing" and investigate whether it reinforces patterns of neocolonial dependency within host countries, specifically focusing on the drivers and consequences of large-scale land acquisitions for agricultural purposes.
- The historical and theoretical background of land grabbing and its modern dimensions.
- The roles and motivations of key actors, including investors, states, and corporations.
- Empirical analysis of the environmental, social, and economic impacts on local populations.
- Comparative case studies of land grabbing practices in Ethiopia and Argentina.
- The relationship between land exploitation, food security, and neocolonial economic dependencies.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Explanation of terms
Land grabbing is usually used synonymously, including in this paper. The term was coined in 2008 and apparently applies to all processes in which trade in agricultural land is to the great disadvantage of at least one person directly or indirectly involved (Ouma, 2014, p. 202). In an article published in 2011, the Economist cited a classic case of land grabbing (Bahn & Kaphengst, 2012): a community in Sierra Leone leased 40,000 hectares of fertile farmland to a Swiss company for a contract period of 50 years. The company planned to cultivate raw materials there for the production of biofuel, which was destined for the European market. The farmers were promised the creation of 2,000 jobs, and they were also guaranteed that the marshes in the area would be preserved. Three years later, there were only 50 new jobs, and since the swamps dried up after all, the village can no longer even grow rice for its own basic needs (The Economist, 2011). For the purposes of public debate, a rough definition of land grabbing will suffice.
However, in order to have a scientific approach to land grabbing, the phenomenon needs to be analyzed in more depth: An important first classification was made by the International Land Coalition (ILC): More than 150 representatives from governmental as well as civil society organizations drafted the Tirana Declaration in May 2011. At the ILC conference in Albania, it was established that land grabbing occurs in the presence of one or more of the following characteristics: Human rights violations, exclusion of the population and land users in important decisions that affect them, ignorance of negative social, economic or environmental impacts on the ground, non-transparent contracts without enforceable obligations of investors to the population, and as a fifth point, the absence of a transparent planning process and independent verification of the agreements reached. With this differentiation, the ILC provides a valid definition of land grabbing and offers starting points for the scientific discussion (International Land Coalition, 2011).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the global food security crisis and introduces land grabbing as a controversial phenomenon with neocolonial parallels, outlining the paper's scope and case study structure.
2. State of the research: Reviews the current empirical understanding of land grabbing, highlighting the challenges of data scarcity and the difficulty of analyzing transactions due to extreme lack of transparency.
3. General Framework: Defines the core concepts, motivations for agricultural investments (food, energy, money), and identifies the complex network of state and private actors involved.
4. The problems of land grabbing: Analyzes the structural socio-economic issues arising from these deals, including power imbalances, environmental degradation, corruption, and the marginalization of local smallholders.
5. A look at some case studies: Provides an in-depth empirical comparison of Ethiopia and Argentina, evaluating how state policies and foreign investments have created dependency structures through large-scale land alienation.
6. Conscious consumption: Discusses the role of individual consumer behavior and alternative strategies in potentially mitigating the demand side of unsustainable global land consumption.
7. Conclusion: Synthesizes findings by confirming that land grabbing acts as a catalyst for dependency, reinforcing neocolonial patterns where local economies are subordinated to external market needs.
Keywords
Land Grabbing, Neocolonialism, Agricultural Investment, Food Security, Ethiopia, Argentina, Dependency Theory, Monsanto, Biofuels, Smallholder Farmers, Land Tenure, Transparency, Corruption, Globalization, Sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The work examines the contemporary phenomenon of "land grabbing," where foreign investors and states acquire vast tracts of agricultural land in developing nations, leading to socioeconomic and ecological consequences.
What are the central themes discussed in this study?
Key themes include the global motivations behind land deals, the power dynamics between corporations and host governments, the negative impacts on local communities, and the risk of reinforcing colonial-style dependencies.
What is the primary research goal?
The research investigates whether large-scale land acquisitions fundamentally create or reinforce neocolonial dependency patterns in host countries, using Ethiopia and Argentina as primary empirical examples.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author employs a qualitative analysis of secondary literature, organizational reports, and specific case studies to construct a framework for evaluating the consequences of modern land acquisition strategies.
What topics are covered in the main body section?
The main body examines the definitions, economic and ecological motivations (food, energy, capital), the roles of international and private actors, systemic problems like corruption and inequality, and detailed case studies on Ethiopia and Argentina.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Land Grabbing, Neocolonialism, Food Security, Agricultural Dependency, and the environmental impacts of industrial agricultural models.
How is the concept of neocolonialism applied to these case studies?
The paper demonstrates that in both Ethiopia and Argentina, land deals result in the extraction of agricultural wealth for external markets, leaving the local population vulnerable and dependent on external structures.
What specific issue is highlighted regarding the seed industry in Argentina?
The study highlights how the concentration of the Argentine market on Monsanto’s genetically modified soybean seeds forces farmers into a technology and patent trap, creating deep economic dependency on a single corporation.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2021, Land Grabbing. The new Colonialism?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1259314
