Persecution against rights defenders of the Afro-Ecuadorian commune of Barranquilla de San Javier by Acción Ecológica & GRAIN | 5 Jun 2023 Land After months of judicial criminalisation of four peasants that defend their forest from the expansion of oil palm plantations, on 12 June a new possibility of justice will open up for the judges of the Ecuadorian courts to exonerate and free these people from the commune of Barranquilla de San Javier de Cachaví from all charges. After months of judicial criminalisation of four peasants that defend their forest from the expansion of oil palm plantations, on 12 June a new possibility of justice will open up for the judges of the Ecuadorian courts to exonerate and free these people from the commune of Barranquilla de San Javier de Cachaví from all charges.
The avocados of wrath by GRAIN & Colectivo por la Autonomía | 4 May 2023 Land Avocados are the world’s third-largest fruit commodity. Their production is taking up an ever-growing area and continually expanding into new countries. What are the implications? What forces are driving it? How does this model, working on both global and local scales, manage to keep prices high? Avocados are the world’s third-largest fruit commodity. Their production is taking up an ever-growing area and continually expanding into new countries. What are the implications? What forces are driving it? How does this model, working on both global and local scales, manage to keep prices high?
The Brazilian state and agri-food corporations are condemned for ecocide of the Cerrado and genocide of its peoples by GRAIN | 21 Dec 2022 Land The ecocide being perpetrated against the Cerrado and the genocide of the Cerrado peoples are taking place in the context of the most persistent war of our time - and the most difficult to win - which is not between nation states. Rather, it is being waged against nature and the ‘peoples of nature’ by large corporations and the people who run them: the dominant minority, referred to as the “commodities people” by the great Yanomami shaman, Davi Kopenawa. This war is much harder to fight because warlords hide behind the names of conglomerates designed to erase their fingerprints and gain legitimacy day after day by the repetition on the stock exchange trading floors of something intangible called "the market". The ecocide being perpetrated against the Cerrado and the genocide of the Cerrado peoples are taking place in the context of the most persistent war of our time - and the most difficult to win - which is not between nation states. Rather, it is being waged against nature and the ‘peoples of nature’ by large corporations and the people who run them: the dominant minority, referred to as the “commodities people” by the great Yanomami shaman, Davi Kopenawa. This war is much harder to fight because warlords hide behind the names of conglomerates designed to erase their fingerprints and gain legitimacy day after day by the repetition on the stock exchange trading floors of something intangible called "the market".
The digitalisation of land: more data, less land by GRAIN | 15 Apr 2022 Land As per its nature, public and communal lands cannot be bought, sold or offered as collateral for loans, making it harder for land grabbers to extract wealth if they take over these lands. This is where new technologies come in; the digital integration of cadastres and land registries enables these lands to be reclassified. Through cadastres, rural properties can be included on registries that provide access to public policies and funding, which, in turn, can be used as a basis to issue individual property titles. As per its nature, public and communal lands cannot be bought, sold or offered as collateral for loans, making it harder for land grabbers to extract wealth if they take over these lands. This is where new technologies come in; the digital integration of cadastres and land registries enables these lands to be reclassified. Through cadastres, rural properties can be included on registries that provide access to public policies and funding, which, in turn, can be used as a basis to issue individual property titles.
A Century of Agro-Colonialism in the DR Congo by GRAIN | 25 Mar 2022 Land Many of the oil palm plantations now owned by multinational corporations in West and Central Africa were built on lands stolen from local communities during colonial occupations. This is the case in what is known today as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Anglo-Dutch multinational food company Unilever began building its palm oil empire. Today, these plantations are sites of on-going poverty, conflict and violence. Many of the oil palm plantations now owned by multinational corporations in West and Central Africa were built on lands stolen from local communities during colonial occupations. This is the case in what is known today as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Anglo-Dutch multinational food company Unilever began building its palm oil empire. Today, these plantations are sites of on-going poverty, conflict and violence.
Infographic | Digital fences: technology and its use in land grabbing by GRAIN | 19 Apr 2021 Land | Multimedia This infographic highlights the main findings of a thorough investigation that was carried out in five South American countries in order to stop the ongoing cycle of violent dispossession. Our report zeros in on the land digitalisation process that is paving the way towards the mass privatisation and financialisation of land. This infographic highlights the main findings of a thorough investigation that was carried out in five South American countries in order to stop the ongoing cycle of violent dispossession. Our report zeros in on the land digitalisation process that is paving the way towards the mass privatisation and financialisation of land.
TIAA and Harvard’s Brazilian farm deals judged illegal by AATR, Rede Social, GRAIN | 17 Dec 2020 Land Two of Brazil's top public authorities on land in the Cerrado have dealt a major blow to the efforts of foreign companies to take over the region's farmlands. These judgements are detailed in a new report by AATR, Rede Social and GRAIN, as well as how fires are once again ravaging large areas of forests on TIAA and Harvard's Brazilian farms, exacerbating the climate crisis. Two of Brazil's top public authorities on land in the Cerrado have dealt a major blow to the efforts of foreign companies to take over the region's farmlands. These judgements are detailed in a new report by AATR, Rede Social and GRAIN, as well as how fires are once again ravaging large areas of forests on TIAA and Harvard's Brazilian farms, exacerbating the climate crisis.
From political coup to land destruction in Brazil by ATTR, ABRA, CPT, GRAIN | 16 Dec 2020 Land The so-called “Land Grabbers’ Act” not only authorizes the immediate regularization of some 40 million hectares of federal public land, but also vitiates the nation’s agrarian reform policy and facilitates the introduction of illegal settlements into the land market, resulting in a genuine agrarian counter-reform. The so-called “Land Grabbers’ Act” not only authorizes the immediate regularization of some 40 million hectares of federal public land, but also vitiates the nation’s agrarian reform policy and facilitates the introduction of illegal settlements into the land market, resulting in a genuine agrarian counter-reform.
Toxic river: the fight to reclaim water from oil palm plantations in Indonesia by ECOTON, GEMAWAN, GRAIN, KRUHA | 4 Dec 2020 Land With agricultural commodities accounting for over 80% of fresh water use, the role played by the agroindustry in the frenzied rush to control access to this resource is major, bringing along countless cases of social conflict and environmental destruction. The industry boom in the demand for palm oil is a clear example, and few countries in the world have experienced the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations like Indonesia. With agricultural commodities accounting for over 80% of fresh water use, the role played by the agroindustry in the frenzied rush to control access to this resource is major, bringing along countless cases of social conflict and environmental destruction. The industry boom in the demand for palm oil is a clear example, and few countries in the world have experienced the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations like Indonesia.
Digital fences: the financial enclosure of farmlands in South America by GRAIN | 21 Sep 2020 Land In all the countries studied in this report, the georeferenced cadastres became a requirement both for the land regularisation process and to access other public and credit policies in the financial system for rural properties. This trend to digitise land governance and the natural resources linked to it, is being reinforced by the World Bank: it has allocated USD 45.5 million for the registration of the Brazilian Cerrado’s private rural properties in the rural environmental cadastre and has also assigned USD 100 million to the multi-purpose cadastre in Colombia. In all the countries studied in this report, the georeferenced cadastres became a requirement both for the land regularisation process and to access other public and credit policies in the financial system for rural properties. This trend to digitise land governance and the natural resources linked to it, is being reinforced by the World Bank: it has allocated USD 45.5 million for the registration of the Brazilian Cerrado’s private rural properties in the rural environmental cadastre and has also assigned USD 100 million to the multi-purpose cadastre in Colombia.
Land grabs at gunpoint: Thousands of families are being violently evicted from their farms to make way for foreign-owned plantations in Kiryandongo, Uganda by AFSA, GRAIN, Witness Radio | 25 Aug 2020 Land Three multinational companies – Agilis Partners, Kiryandongo Sugar Limited and Great Season SMC Limited – are involved in grabbing land, violently evicting people from their homes and causing untold humiliation and grief to thousands of farming families residing in Kiryandongo district, Uganda. The land grabs are happening on abandoned national ranches, which have long since been settled and farmed by people who came to the area fleeing war and natural calamities in neighbouring areas. The local people are being displaced without notice, alternatives or even negotiations and are now desperately trying to save their homes and lives. Three multinational companies – Agilis Partners, Kiryandongo Sugar Limited and Great Season SMC Limited – are involved in grabbing land, violently evicting people from their homes and causing untold humiliation and grief to thousands of farming families residing in Kiryandongo district, Uganda. The land grabs are happening on abandoned national ranches, which have long since been settled and farmed by people who came to the area fleeing war and natural calamities in neighbouring areas. The local people are being displaced without notice, alternatives or even negotiations and are now desperately trying to save their homes and lives.
Harvard's land grabs in Brazil are a disaster for communities and a warning to speculators by GRAIN & Rede Social de Justiça e Direitos Humanos | 8 May 2020 Land In an eight year period following the 2008 crisis, Harvard poured over US$1 billion into amassing a global portfolio of farmlands, covering nearly 1 million hectares across five continents. Harvard's farmland strategy took it deep into some of the most conflictual places on the planet when it comes to land and the environment. In an eight year period following the 2008 crisis, Harvard poured over US$1 billion into amassing a global portfolio of farmlands, covering nearly 1 million hectares across five continents. Harvard's farmland strategy took it deep into some of the most conflictual places on the planet when it comes to land and the environment.
The misnamed “Mayan Train” : Multimodal land grabbing by GRAIN | 3 Mar 2020 Land We now know that the proposed Mayan Train is far more than a rail line. It consists of a web of diverse projects, together making up what amounts to a giant “special economic zone.” New hubs for programs, projects, grants, competitive bidding, public policy, and investment will spring up in the five Mexican states involved — Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. There has already been land grabbing, deforestation, devastation, poisoning, and environmental degradation, and there will likely be forced population displacement as well. The 181,000-km2 peninsula is being reconfigured as a region of extractive projects, multimodal land and resource monopolization, and maquiladoras. We now know that the proposed Mayan Train is far more than a rail line. It consists of a web of diverse projects, together making up what amounts to a giant “special economic zone.” New hubs for programs, projects, grants, competitive bidding, public policy, and investment will spring up in the five Mexican states involved — Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. There has already been land grabbing, deforestation, devastation, poisoning, and environmental degradation, and there will likely be forced population displacement as well. The 181,000-km2 peninsula is being reconfigured as a region of extractive projects, multimodal land and resource monopolization, and maquiladoras.
Harvard and TIAA's farmland grab in Brazil goes up in smoke by Friends of the Earth US, GRAIN, National Family Farm Coalition, Rede Social de Justiça e Direitos Humanos | 18 Oct 2019 Land Brazil is smouldering, still. The surge of fires that raged across the Amazon in July and August has now spread to the country's biodiverse savanna lands in the Cerrado, where the number of fires in September was double what it was a year ago. Brazil is smouldering, still. The surge of fires that raged across the Amazon in July and August has now spread to the country's biodiverse savanna lands in the Cerrado, where the number of fires in September was double what it was a year ago.
Communities in Africa fight back against the land grab for palm oil by Alliance Against Industrial Plantations in West and Central Africa | 19 Sep 2019 Land Over the past decade, agribusiness companies have been increasing their production of palm oil to meet a growing global demand for cheap vegetable oil that gets used in the production of processed foods, biofuels and cosmetics. Community lands in many African countries are a main target for the expansion of their plantations. But the communities are fighting back Over the past decade, agribusiness companies have been increasing their production of palm oil to meet a growing global demand for cheap vegetable oil that gets used in the production of processed foods, biofuels and cosmetics. Community lands in many African countries are a main target for the expansion of their plantations. But the communities are fighting back