Abstract / Summary:
In this project we ask about the socio-political, economic and environmental potentials and problems characterizing transnational large-scale land acquisitions (LSLA). This proposal is motivated by the documented forceful eruption of cross-border land acquisitions over the last years and the relatively limited academic knowledge of the circumstances in which these land deals take place – in terms of processes and contexts – as well as in respect to their impacts on local populations. Based on comprehensive case studies in Laos and Cambodia, the project aims at producing generalised insights for evidence based decision and policy making.
LSLA may have significant and uneven impact on the livelihood systems of local populations. Yet, it is acknowledged that the promises are not fulfilled and that land acquisitions are in some cases detrimental to large number of populations. Our preliminary findings from field research indicate that the on-going agrarian transformation associated to rubber-tree plantation in Cambodia and Laos increases the vulnerability of the less well-off segments of the population.
Despite a growing body of academic research on the topic, three key limitations can be identified and open the field for innovation within this project: the absence of a human rights perspective; the insufficiency of empirical material analyzing how land deals are implemented on the ground; and the missing link between processes of land acquisitions and the (highly heterogeneous) development contexts in which they typically occur.
The research will be structured around three core questions: (1) What are the processes among various actors and institutions across different administrative scales determining the negotiation and implementation of land acquisition? (2) What are the impacts of land deals on local populations in terms of livelihood system and vulnerability? (3) What role do existing policies, institutions and mechanisms play (and what role could they play) in mitigating the tensions related to LSLA and protecting the human rights of local populations?
The research will draw (1) on land change science as a strand of geography and sustainability science, (2) on a perspective that is grounded in political economy with a strong emphasis on agrarian transformation, and (3) on legal and human rights studies with particular attention to the right to food. The project will produce primary data through semi-structured interviews and questionnaire based surveys, and analyse the jurisprudence and work of international and national bodies to assess the availability of human rights remedies. Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing will be used to integrate secondary data with satellite imagery and other spatial datasets.
Beyond its contribution to the academic debates related to the “land grabbing”, the project will provide material for policy dialogue with authorities, UN agencies, international financial institutions and non-governmental organizations in their effort and programs to accompany the implementation of large-scale land deals and to mitigate their possible negative impacts.
The project is designed within a collaborative framework that includes scholars from various sciences as well as international and state organizations for the purpose of policy dialogue.
