Why is the EU funding Ethiopia's repression of land rights defenders? by Nyikaw Ochalla, Anywaa Survival Organisation | 21 Jul 2016 Ethiopia | EU | land grabbing On Friday, the EU and German government announced the agreement of providing the Government of Ethiopia with 3.8 million euro for a project to facilitate large-scale commercial land deals amid wide spread human rights abuses and brutal repression of its opponents. On Friday, the EU and German government announced the agreement of providing the Government of Ethiopia with 3.8 million euro for a project to facilitate large-scale commercial land deals amid wide spread human rights abuses and brutal repression of its opponents.
Water scarcity, public protest slow foreign farmland purchases by Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue | 7 Jul 2016 Tanzania | land grabbing Tanzania’s Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor, a huge farm production project that lies across the country’s southern highlands, seems to represent incisive thinking about Africa’s potential to produce jobs and feed the world. The $US 3.4 billion project envisions improving the capacity of 100,000 small Tanzanian farms to produce and market more of their grain, vegetables, dairy, and meat products. Keith Schneider of "Circle of Blue" provides an analysis that references GRAIN's latest land grabbing report and database. Tanzania’s Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor, a huge farm production project that lies across the country’s southern highlands, seems to represent incisive thinking about Africa’s potential to produce jobs and feed the world. The $US 3.4 billion project envisions improving the capacity of 100,000 small Tanzanian farms to produce and market more of their grain, vegetables, dairy, and meat products. Keith Schneider of "Circle of Blue" provides an analysis that references GRAIN's latest land grabbing report and database.
Cambodia: Sugar company's compensation deals leave families bitter in Kampong Speu by Jack Davies and Bun Sengkong, Phnom Penh Post | 30 Jun 2016 Cambodia | land grabbing In 2010, more than 1,500 families in Kampong Speu’s Oral district were evicted from the land they had cultivated since the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979 to make way for a Phnom Penh Sugar Company mega-plantation. After years of campaigning, many of those families in recent weeks accepted compensation packages from the company, owned by Ly Yong Phat, a ruling party senator. However, recipients, community leaders and NGOs have since raised concerns that the company obtained the settlement agreements through bullying and coercion. In 2010, more than 1,500 families in Kampong Speu’s Oral district were evicted from the land they had cultivated since the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979 to make way for a Phnom Penh Sugar Company mega-plantation. After years of campaigning, many of those families in recent weeks accepted compensation packages from the company, owned by Ly Yong Phat, a ruling party senator. However, recipients, community leaders and NGOs have since raised concerns that the company obtained the settlement agreements through bullying and coercion.
#OccupySocfinBolloré: Overview of international mobilisation at Socfin and Bolloré headquarters by GRAIN | 9 Jun 2016 Cambodia | Cameroon | Sierra Leone | land grabbing | corporations | Cote d'Ivoire | Liberia On 1 and 3 June, protestors occupied the headquarters of Socfin (Luxembourg) and Bolloré (Paris) demanding that the two companies respect the rights of local communities. Socfin and Bolloré have agricultural investments in several countries in Asia and Africa, primarily for oil palm plantations. See an overview of the days' mobilisations, which were live-tweeted by GRAIN and others. On 1 and 3 June, protestors occupied the headquarters of Socfin (Luxembourg) and Bolloré (Paris) demanding that the two companies respect the rights of local communities. Socfin and Bolloré have agricultural investments in several countries in Asia and Africa, primarily for oil palm plantations. See an overview of the days' mobilisations, which were live-tweeted by GRAIN and others.
Relaunching destruction in Papua: monoculture agriculture project threatens indigenous lands and livelihoods by AwasMIFEE | GRAIN | 10 Aug 2015 Indonesia | land grabbing For the past five years, the people of Merauke Regency, in Indonesia's Papua province, have been resisting a large-scale agriculture project that threatens the livelihoods of more than 50,000 people. But their government has recently announced new and ambitious plans for the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) project. For the past five years, the people of Merauke Regency, in Indonesia's Papua province, have been resisting a large-scale agriculture project that threatens the livelihoods of more than 50,000 people. But their government has recently announced new and ambitious plans for the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) project.
Nigeria palm oil land grab exposes need for human rights treaty by Friends of the Earth | 8 Jul 2015 Nigeria | land grabbing | corporations "Wilmar’s new plantations in Nigeria follow the same business model that has caused vast forest destruction and human rights abuse in Southeast Asia," says Friends of the Earth. "Aggressive government support for large scale plantations... has extracted wealth into the pockets of foreign business owners, leaving as little as possible in tax revenue; and has left communities landless, hungry, indebted, and in conflict." "Wilmar’s new plantations in Nigeria follow the same business model that has caused vast forest destruction and human rights abuse in Southeast Asia," says Friends of the Earth. "Aggressive government support for large scale plantations... has extracted wealth into the pockets of foreign business owners, leaving as little as possible in tax revenue; and has left communities landless, hungry, indebted, and in conflict."
Walls and the tiger by Katrien Curvers and Sushma Kallam | 17 Jun 2015 India | land grabbing The documentary Walls and the Tiger is a six-year account of the strife of a rural community in Andhra Pradesh, India, to reverse the merciless grabbing of their fertile land by the government and corporations in the name of “development.” It follows the rural villagers of Kona Forest village, who have been living traditionally for thousands of years, and who have been robbed of their land to build the Kakinada SEZ. Their resistance has been violently suppressed, but so far, they have been able to hold off loosing their land by uniting, cooperating, and not losing faith. Help us to spread the film and our message as widely as possible The documentary Walls and the Tiger is a six-year account of the strife of a rural community in Andhra Pradesh, India, to reverse the merciless grabbing of their fertile land by the government and corporations in the name of “development.” It follows the rural villagers of Kona Forest village, who have been living traditionally for thousands of years, and who have been robbed of their land to build the Kakinada SEZ. Their resistance has been violently suppressed, but so far, they have been able to hold off loosing their land by uniting, cooperating, and not losing faith. Help us to spread the film and our message as widely as possible
Over-grazing and desertification in the Syrian steppe are the root causes of war by Gianluca Serra | 8 Jun 2015 Syrian Arab Republic | food sovereignty | laws & policies | land grabbing Civil war in Syria is the result of the desertification of the ecologically fragile Syrian steppe, writes Gianluca Serra - a process that began in 1958 when the former Bedouin commons were opened up to unrestricted grazing. Civil war in Syria is the result of the desertification of the ecologically fragile Syrian steppe, writes Gianluca Serra - a process that began in 1958 when the former Bedouin commons were opened up to unrestricted grazing.
Global resistance to land grabs by Bolloré and Socfin by ReAct | 22 Apr 2015 Cambodia | Cameroon | Cote d'Ivoire | Liberia | Sierra Leone | land grabbing Peasant farmers deprived of their lands have launched a series of occupations of Socfin's plantations in Cameroon, Liberia, Cambodia and Côte d'Ivoire Peasant farmers deprived of their lands have launched a series of occupations of Socfin's plantations in Cameroon, Liberia, Cambodia and Côte d'Ivoire
World Social Forum 2015: Space of convergence of land and water struggles by CLWS | 26 Mar 2015 land grabbing | food sovereignty We, social and grassroots movements and their allies met at the African Social Forum in Dakar in October 2014, with the objective to unite all the struggles for the Land and Water and against the criminalization of activists thereof. We have developed a declaration entitled "Rights to Water and Land, A Common Struggle". We, social and grassroots movements and their allies met at the African Social Forum in Dakar in October 2014, with the objective to unite all the struggles for the Land and Water and against the criminalization of activists thereof. We have developed a declaration entitled "Rights to Water and Land, A Common Struggle".
The global biomass robbery by EJOLT | 13 Mar 2015 Ethiopia | Indonesia | Paraguay | land grabbing | corporations The latest report by EJOLT, a global alliance of environmental justice organisations, on the nature and impact of the increasing global biomass trade. The report examines the global evolution of food production and international food trade and identifies related drivers of socio-environmental conflicts. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, global trade in agricultural products grew more than three times faster than agricultural production. Nearly all the new land that had been put into production since 1986 was used to produce export crops. The authors conclude that the EU should revise the Common Agricultural Policy to strengthen small-scale farming, promote shorter production chains, support fair trade schemes, as well as to increase organic and permaculture practices. Henk Hobbelink from GRAIN said that “On this topic, the only real policy recommendation that I see is that the expansion of the commodity crops should be stopped and reversed, and land should be reverted to food production in the hand of small farmers.” The latest report by EJOLT, a global alliance of environmental justice organisations, on the nature and impact of the increasing global biomass trade. The report examines the global evolution of food production and international food trade and identifies related drivers of socio-environmental conflicts. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, global trade in agricultural products grew more than three times faster than agricultural production. Nearly all the new land that had been put into production since 1986 was used to produce export crops. The authors conclude that the EU should revise the Common Agricultural Policy to strengthen small-scale farming, promote shorter production chains, support fair trade schemes, as well as to increase organic and permaculture practices. Henk Hobbelink from GRAIN said that “On this topic, the only real policy recommendation that I see is that the expansion of the commodity crops should be stopped and reversed, and land should be reverted to food production in the hand of small farmers.”
Tycoon-controlled oil palm groups in Indonesia by Rahmawati Retno Winarni and Jan Willem van Gelder | 20 Feb 2015 Indonesia | land grabbing | corporations The rapid expansion of Indonesian oil palm plantations creates serious environmental and social problems. A report analyse the ownership and financing of 25 large tycoon-controlled business groups that control 31% (3.1 million hectares) of the total planted oil palm plantation at present. These groups still have at least 2 million hectares of undeveloped land banks under control. The most important business groups - in terms of their planted areas - are Sinar Mas Group, Salim Group, Jardine Matheson Group, Wilmar Group and Surya Dumai Group. The rapid expansion of Indonesian oil palm plantations creates serious environmental and social problems. A report analyse the ownership and financing of 25 large tycoon-controlled business groups that control 31% (3.1 million hectares) of the total planted oil palm plantation at present. These groups still have at least 2 million hectares of undeveloped land banks under control. The most important business groups - in terms of their planted areas - are Sinar Mas Group, Salim Group, Jardine Matheson Group, Wilmar Group and Surya Dumai Group.
Despite hunger, Mozambique leases huge land holdings to foreigners by Chris Arsenault, Reuters | 19 Feb 2015 Mozambique | land grabbing | corporations | laws & policies A report on landgrabbing by GRAIN and the Mozambique small farmers movement UNAC has sparked quite some debate in the country. According to Chris Arsenault of Reuters: "Mozambique, a country wracked by hunger, has signed away land concessions three times larger than Greater London to outside investors in the past decade, displacing thousands of farmers in the process, said a report released on Thursday". A report on landgrabbing by GRAIN and the Mozambique small farmers movement UNAC has sparked quite some debate in the country. According to Chris Arsenault of Reuters: "Mozambique, a country wracked by hunger, has signed away land concessions three times larger than Greater London to outside investors in the past decade, displacing thousands of farmers in the process, said a report released on Thursday".
Thailand: Farmers and rights groups decry land activist killing by Bangkok Post | 16 Feb 2015 Thailand | land grabbing | actions On Wednesday, February 11 2015, Chai Bunthonglek, a land rights activist from Klong Sai Pattana village, Chaiburi District Suratthani Province and member of the Southern Peasant Federation of Thailand was gunned down. International and local human rights defenders have condemned the murder of a land rights activist in Surat Thani. On Wednesday, February 11 2015, Chai Bunthonglek, a land rights activist from Klong Sai Pattana village, Chaiburi District Suratthani Province and member of the Southern Peasant Federation of Thailand was gunned down. International and local human rights defenders have condemned the murder of a land rights activist in Surat Thani.
‘Militarized occupation’: local communities pay the price for palm oil by John C Cannon | 21 Nov 2014 land grabbing | food sovereignty There’s little doubt that the use of palm oil is expanding rapidly throughout the world, and with it the need for millions of hectares of land to grow oil palm trees. The results can be devastating for local communities who depend on the agriculture and forests that these lands support, which led the international NGO GRAIN to catalog the issues that arise with oil palm expansion in a report titled “Planet Palm Oil.” There’s little doubt that the use of palm oil is expanding rapidly throughout the world, and with it the need for millions of hectares of land to grow oil palm trees. The results can be devastating for local communities who depend on the agriculture and forests that these lands support, which led the international NGO GRAIN to catalog the issues that arise with oil palm expansion in a report titled “Planet Palm Oil.”