Land Deal Politics Initiative

Across the globe, landless young people are fleeing rural areas in droves, questioning their future on the land. Whether in the Global South or North, this crisis impacts peasants and farmers everywhere. Even with land available, agriculture or small-scale pastoralism doesn't always promise a bright future. Hence, many youths opt for urban migration. But amidst this crisis, a beacon of hope emerges. When peasants gain access to land, it can kickstart dynamic community building and sustainable livelihoods, offering young people a future worth staying for. This is the inspiring story of the Peasant Reserve Zone in Venecia, Colombia, and one of its sons, Cesar. #landless #peasantmovement #scholaractivism #landgrabbing2024 #peasantreservezone #agriculture #smallscalepastoralism #communitybuilding #knowledgemaking #democratizingknowledge Erasmus University Rotterdam International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam Jovana “Jovie” Paredes, J.D., LL.M La Via Campesina https://lnkd.in/eiD66dCF

?? ???? What happens to the assets owned by Colombian drug lords once they're convicted? In this remarkable story we learn about the transformation of former drug lord estates into lands of hope for Indigenous peasants and former FARC rebels. Special Assets Society - SAE Land Deal Politics Initiative International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam Erasmus University Rotterdam https://lnkd.in/gk26KKCc

Wonderful blog post by Salena Tramel with five key takeaways from the Global Land Grabbing Conference in Colombia about the state of the land rush and the resistance that seeks to stop it in its tracks. https://lnkd.in/ekW3Pc-i

Millions are going hungry, yet food exists. What's the disconnect? This article by Equal Times explores the fight for Land Rights and Food Sovereignty! ??? https://lnkd.in/ePW5d7Rk

Relevant to the geopolitics debates at #LandGrabbing2024 conference, check out the new episodes of the Agrarian Politics Podcast where Ruth Hall has a conversation with Prof hairong yan: "China's 'Going Out' policy and global agrarian change" https://lnkd.in/eCWQMtuJ

???“The whole wold is here on the Zona de Reserva Campesina - Venezia Parta Alta!” 50 Researchers and social movement activists from China, Uganda, Cambodia, Tanzania, Argentina, Uruguay, Ethiopia, South Africa, Canada, Mozambique, Netherlands, Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, USA, Spain, India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Japan, Sierra Leone, France, Mali, Burundi, Serbia, Germany, Cambodia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Switzerland participated in a meaningful exchange, high in the Eastern mountain range (cordillera oriental) with members of the indigenous peasant community. #LandGrabbing2024 #ScholarActivism #SiteVisit #EngagedResearch #MakingMindsMatter Ruth Hall Itayosara Rojas Ian Scoones Jovana “Jovie” Paredes, J.D., LL.M Transnational Institute International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam Erasmus University Rotterdam PLAAS UWC

???????? Although there were many, this is one of my favourite moments/quotes from the site visit to the Peasant Reserve Zone - Venezia Parta Alta: “I want to congratulate my “son” there, who after finishing his university education, you decided to come back home to your village. I want to advise all of us to take an assignment as social movement activists and academics dealing with agriculture: agriculture isn’t only for poor people, agriculture is for all. Our advocacy must be changed. Let’s change the image to a young lady with lipstick on - farming. A young man like you, in a tie and a coat - farming! We have to change the mindset that agriculture is only for poor people.” - Saphia Ajmy Ngalapi, Tanzania, World March of Women addressing César Alfonso Huertas Chaparro. #LandGrabbing2024 #ScholarActivism #sitevisit #WorldMarchOfWomen #EngagedResearch #MakingMindsMatter International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam Erasmus University Rotterdam Land Deal Politics Initiative

The fight for land justice continues. The International conference on Global Land Grabbing?in Bogotá brought together activists & policymakers to discuss the evolving issue of global land grabs. Is land being taken away from communities for unsustainable practices? What can be done to resist? Read Salena Tramel's blog post below ?? Salena's blog: https://lnkd.in/eD4b9GVh #LandGrabbing2024 Link to working paper series https://lnkd.in/esnPyC3n Link to Global Land Grabs framing?paper https://lnkd.in/e9HSTkRU

'Land is not something abstract. We are connected to land by our families and communities.' - Morgan Ody According to Wendy Wolford these are the seven different points that the LDPI has noticed in the years since it was launched: 1. Call to action brought significant attention to land transactions. It brought the land question back when many would say it was gone. 2. The scholarly rush that followed the land rush focused on the most spectacular land deals - Ethiopia's leasing of tens of thousands of hectares of land to India and other examples. 3. Increasing capital in land, often dictated by private actors with public actors as facilitators. 4. An old lesson: our land, forests, water, subsoil materials produce value extracted for consumption but their reproduction is no longer assured. 5. Enormous amounts of data is making it harder to track land deals. 6. The rise of authoritarian governments around the world, all of which lean into extraction from rural areas. 7. Resistance continues in many ways, but under violent violence of oppression and outright criminalisation of dissent. Panel topic: Global land grabbing and responses to them Moderated by Ruth Hall, University of the Western Cape Panellists in order: Francesco Maria Pierri, FAO; Morgan Ody, La Via Campesina; Annelies (E.B.) Zoomers, Utrecht University; Wendy Wolford Cornell University #LandGrabbing2024

'Land is not something abstract. We are connected to land by our families and communities.' - Morgan Ody According to Wendy Wolford these are the seven different points that the LDPI has noticed in the years since it was launched: 1. Call to action brought significant attention to land transactions. It brought the land question back when many would say it was gone. 2. The scholarly rush that followed the land rush focused on the most spectacular land deals - Ethiopia's leasing of tens of thousands of hectares of land to India and other examples. 3. Increasing capital in land, often dictated by private actors with public actors as facilitators. 4. An old lesson: our land, forests, water, subsoil materials produce value extracted for consumption but their reproduction is no longer assured. 5. Enormous amounts of data is making it harder to track land deals. 6. The rise of authoritarian governments around the world, all of which lean into extraction from rural areas. 7. Resistance continues in many ways, but under violent violence of oppression and outright criminalisation of dissent. Panel topic: Global land grabbing and responses to them Moderated by Ruth Hall, University of the Western Cape Panellists in order: Francesco Maria Pierri, FAO; Morgan Ody, La Via Campesina; Annelies (E.B.) Zoomers, Utrecht University; Wendy Wolford Cornell University #LandGrabbing2024