The Wilson Center ’ s Africa Program and Asia Program present: So-Called Land Grabs in the Global South: Reality and Repercussions? Wednesday, November 28, :00 – 4:00pm 6 th Floor Flom Auditorium

The Challenges of Large-Scale Land Acquisitions Karol Boudreaux USAID Africa Land Tenure Specialist

Recent Headlines “CAMBODIA: Rural poor lose out in land deals” “Multinationals grab African land” “FOOD: Land-grabbing linked with hunger” “Report: 'Unbridled' Rush for Land Grabs Leaving a Billion Hungry” “Biofuels, food speculation pushing further land grabs” “The great green land grab: "Land grabbing" is rarely out of the headlines”

Sources of concern Rising demand/competing uses –Biofuel –Agriculture –Timber/forestry –Extractives –Conservation –Urban expansion Weak consultative process/poor engagement Weak land governance systems/rent seeking

Where is land being purchased?

Weak land governance is at the heart of large-scale land acquisitions Legal pluralism contributes to ambiguous rights Limited capacity/limited resources Overwhelmed customary systems Vested interests/corruption Compounded problems for women

Women are triply vulnerable

Some of the gender impacts Loss of land and resource rights Lost livelihoods Costs to gather wood/water Displacements from social networks Increased vulnerability Source: jonhaylett.co.uk

Recent responses VGGT G8’s New Alliance Farmland Principles ISO RAI

Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGTs) Soft Int’l Law Participatory process Recognize/Respect Safeguard Facilitate Access to Justice/Services Prevent Dispute/Conflict

VGGTs are a response to: Rising food prices, food insecurity Large-scale acquisitions Harms to communities Increasing recognition of need to address customary/informal tenure concerns Desire for more integrated/participatory approach Need to protect & empower all users 11

Encouraging Government Actions VGGTs provide guidance to states to: –Improve service provision –Increase access to justice –Reduce corruption –Improve transparency & accountability –Recognize customary & informal rights, rights of IPs –Eliminate discrimination –Promote responsible investment –Address expropriation, redistribution, consolidation –Address valuation, taxation 12

Implementing the VGGTs Adopted May 2012 G8/New Alliance commitments, including funding/implementation commitments Efforts to implement will be bilateral/multilateral New facility at FAO What will it look like on the ground? –For communities –For private sector –For governments 14

How can the private sector help? Recognize & respect legitimate rights Advocate for joint rights/women’s rights Increased focus on collaborative contracting Partnering with producer groups – men & women What’s exciting? –B-20 Task Force Recommendations –Farmland Principles –ISO Standards –Impact Investing –New Alliance

What else is needed? Technology Expanded legal education Expanded access to justice Resources to implement commitments Continued CSO/NGO support Spotlight on this issue

What is USAID doing? Assisting efforts to secure land & resource rights in worldwide programming –Legal/policy reform –Building host capacity, public awareness –Engaging with customary authorities –Supporting NGOs/CSOs Supporting New Alliance efforts Supporting implementation of VGGT

Secure land and property rights: stronger communities, more productive economies Source: Gregory Myers, USAID

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The Wilson Center ’ s Africa Program and Asia Program present: So-Called Land Grabs in the Global South: Reality and Repercussions? Wednesday, November 28, :00 – 4:00pm 6 th Floor Flom Auditorium