According to the World Bank, the “land rush” is not likely to slow. As a result, the landless labour population will grow, leading to greater unrest in the rural areas of developing countries.
Land rush and sustainable food security
M. S. Swaminathan
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A high-level panel of experts set up under my chairmanship in 2010 by the U.N. Committee on Food Security (CFS) has recently submitted to the CFS a report on Land Tenure and International Investments in Agriculture. It analyses the potential impact of acquisitions, particularly in Africa, on food security. It has been estimated that 50 million to 80 million hectares of farmland in developing countries has been the subject of negotiations by international investors in recent years, two-thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa, widely recognised as a “hot spot” for endemic hunger. We found little evidence that such large-scale acquisitions have helped to provide food and jobs to the local population. More than three quarters of the deals are yet to demonstrate improvements in agricultural output. The panel identified several steps that governments should take towards more effective and equitable land tenure systems, starting with creating more transparent systems for registering, tracking and protecting land rights, in particular of women, tribal families and other vulnerable groups who depend on common property resources for the security of their livelihoods. Satellite and aerial imagery used in biophysical surveys is blind to the rights and institutions that govern how land is actually used on the ground. According to the World Bank, the “land rush” is not likely to slow. As a result, the landless labour population will grow, leading to greater unrest in the rural areas of developing countries.
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(M.S. Swaminathan is Chairman, MSSRF, and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha.)
