This blog, which is part of a wider global initiative on Commercial Pressures on Land led by the International Land Coalition, contains press reports, research papers, case studies and any other relevant information about the new wave of “commercial pressures on land” that poor rural land-users are facing all over the world.
It seeks to provide updated information to all those trying to monitor, quantify and understand the extent of this ongoing phenomenon.
Read more about the Blog
Read more about the Commercial Pressures on Land Initiative
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The impact of environmental and political influences on pastoral conflicts in Southern Ethiopia
Posted on 07 September, 2010 No comments
International Peace Research Institute, Oslo , 2010Draft paper presented at the conference on climate change and security in Trondheim, 21-24 June 2010.
By Amsale Kassahun Temesgen
“This paper attempts to understand the relationship between environmental and climatic factors on the one hand, and the conflict dynamics in the African Horn on the other hand. The paper recognises aspects like global climatic change and local political dynamics, which intensify the competition for scarce water and pasture, the degradation of natural resources and violent conflict. Read the rest of this entry »
research papers (english), *Africa*, climate change, conflict, environmental degradation, evictions, food production, land rights, livestock, policies and laws, water, [Ethiopia] -
AUDIO “Perú:La invasión de las mineras chinas”
Posted on 02 September, 2010 No comments
Radio Web Rural, Mayo 2010Por Nelly Rivera
Foto por Explorer Bijorn/Flickr
“El Perú se ha convertido en el epicentro de las inversiones y operaciones de las mineras chinas. En los últimos años han ingresado a nuestro país, tres consorcios mineros chinos que desarrollaran los megaproyectos Río Blanco, Toromocho y Galeno. Y ¿porque hay interés de las empresas mineras chinas en invertir en nuestro país? A continuación la respuesta.” Read the rest of this entry »
multimedia (spanish), *Latin America*, conflict, free trade agreements, indigenous people, land rights, mining, [China], [Peru] -
Secret titanium mine threatens Cambodia’s most untouched forest
Posted on 01 September, 2010 No comments
mongabay.com, 1 September 2010By Jeremy Hance
Photo by christof tof/Flickr
“Although the mining consortium, United Khmer Group, has been drawing up plans to build a massive titanium mine in a Cambodian protected forest for three years, the development did not become public knowledge until rural villagers came face-to-face with bulldozers and trucks building access roads. Reaction against the secret mine was swift as environmentalists feared for the impacts on wildlife and the rivers, local villagers saw a looming threat to their burgeoning eco-tourism trade, and Cambodian newspapers began to question statements by the mining corporation. Read the rest of this entry »
press (english), *Asia*, conflict, deforestation, environmental degradation, land rights, mining, [Cambodia] -
Non à l’accaparement des terres agricoles
Posted on 31 August, 2010 No comments
Actualite News Environment, 30 août 2010Par Jean-Charles Batenbaum
Fóto par Lin Chia Hui/Flickr
“Les Amis de la Terre publient aujourd’hui un tout nouveau rapport qui met en évidence les conséquences funestes de la politique Agrocarburants de l’Union européenne. En effet, selon le rapport de l’organisme, afin de satisfaire ses besoins, l’UE provoque une vraie ruée sur l’Afrique où des étendues toujours plus vastes de terres sont confisquées aux populations locales. Pour les Amis de la Terre, ce phénomène échappe à tout contrôle et est largement sous-estimé. Read the rest of this entry »
press, research papers (french), *Africa*, *EU*, agrofuels, conflict, evictions, food security, land rights -
Africa: up for grabs. The scale and impact of land grabbing for agrofuels
Posted on 31 August, 2010 1 comment
Friends of the Earth Africa and Europe, August 2010“Brussels, Belgium and Benin City, Nigeria, August 30, 2010 – The amount of land being taken in Africa to meet Europe’s increasing demand for biofuels is underestimated and out of control, new investigations by Friends of the Earth reveal today. [1] The report is available in: ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, and GERMAN.
The research, which looked at 11 African countries, found at least five million hectares of land – an area the size of Denmark – is being acquired by foreign companies to produce biofuels mainly for the European market.
The practice – known as land grabbing – is increasing and is dominated by European companies. However with official public information largely absent, current figures are likely to be only a snapshot and gross underestimates. Read the rest of this entry »
Commercial Pressures Key Readings, research papers (english), (french), (german), (spanish), *Africa*, *EU*, agrofuels, conflict, evictions, food security, land rights, [Angola], [Benin], [Cameroon], [Congo], [Democratic Republic of Congo], [Ethiopia], [Ghana], [Kenya], [Madagascar], [Mozambique], [Nigeria], [Sierra Leone], [Swaziland], [Tanzania] -
Zambia: Land and mineral rights in conflict
Posted on 30 August, 2010 No comments
IRIN Africa, 30 August 2010Photo by Peter Nijenhuis
“Mining prospectors in Luapula Province, northern Zambia, have forced small-scale farmers from their land at gun point, according to villagers in the region. “We have a lot of battles going on over land; people’s right to land is being violated by manganese miners, time and again,” said Ignatius Musenge of the Zambia Land Alliance, a land rights NGO based in Mansa, the provincial capital. Read the rest of this entry »
press (english), *Africa*, conflict, evictions, food security, land rights, mining, [Zambia] -
Potosí, la tierra del “mineral del futuro” y la extrema pobreza
Posted on 27 August, 2010 No comments
OMAL, 27 Agosto 2010Por Pablo Stefanoni
Foto por Marcelo Caballero/Flickr
“Dignidad era la palabra más escuchada el 11 de agosto en la asamblea de organizaciones sociales y fuerzas vivas que mantiene paralizado y bloqueado a Potosí desde hace quince días por un conflicto de límites con Oruro y en demanda de proyectos productivos. El 11 de agosto, se votó la propuesta de tomar físicamente la mina San Cristóbal, un megaproyecto en manos de la transnacional japonesa Sumitomo que produce plata, zinc y plomo en medio del auge de los precios internacionales. Y se discutía cómo negociar manteniendo la presión, antes de que la ciudad se ahogue a sí misma por el cerco. El gobierno dice que los potosinos son manipulados por grupos de derecha y los acercamientos fracasaron. Read the rest of this entry »
press (spanish), *Latin America*, conflict, environmental degradation, human rights, mining, [Bolivia], [Japan] -
VIDEO: Water or Gold in Ecuador
Posted on 25 August, 2010 No comments
Al Jazeera, 25 August 2010Photo by Malcolm Surgenor
“Like many South American countries, Ecuador has long been an exporter of raw materials - from agricultural produce such as cocoa and bananas, to oil, which alone accounts for more than half of its annual earnings. Now Rafael Correa, the country’s socialist president, believes much additional revenue could be gained by aggressively exploiting other natural resources, particularly gold and other precious metals with which Ecuador is endowed. Read the rest of this entry »
multimedia (english), *Latin America*, conflict, environmental degradation, food security, food sovereignity, indigenous people, land rights, mining, water, [Canada], [China], [Ecuador] -
Malaysia: Suhakam initiates inquiry on indigenous land rights
Posted on 24 August, 2010 No comments
Indigenous Portal, 24 August 2010Photo by wazari/Flickr
“The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) will set up a public inquiry into indigenous rights issues in six months to find solutions to contentious matters. Suhakam commissioner Jannie Lasimbang said non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had often received complaints on land issues but the resolutions had been arduous. Lately they had received complaints on the construction of dams in Sabah and Sarawak that were affecting the lives of the indigenous people, said Lasimbang. Read the rest of this entry »
press (english), *Asia*, conflict, indigenous people, land rights, [Malaysia] -
VIDEO: Global Food Security and Sovereignty Threatened by Corporate and Government “Land Grabs” in Poor Countries
Posted on 24 August, 2010 No comments
Democracy Now! 24 August 2010Amy Goodman interviews Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director of the Oakland Institute.
Photo by Jim Moram/Flickr
“Since the food crisis of 2008, food justice activists have warned that governments in concert with multinational corporations have accelerated a worldwide “land grab” to buy up vast swaths of arable land in poor countries. According to The Economist magazine, between 37 to 49 million acres of farmland were put up for sale in deals involving foreign nationals between 2006 and mid-2009. ” Read the rest of this entry »
multimedia, press, research papers (english), *Africa*, *Asia*, *Latin America*, agriculture, agrofuels, conflict, CPL affecting family farmers, food production, food security, food sovereignity, policies and laws, transnational private investment funds