A Free-for-All: Global Land Grab in Times of Crisis
Agricultural land is fast becoming a hot commodity in the global competition for resources. The trend of acquiring cheap arable land worldwide to meet domestic food needs has only been exacerbated by the food and financial crisis. Its impacts on the environment and on small local farmers have been dramatic. According to a study by GRAIN, governments in countries with little cultivable area, and therefore dependent on food imports, are attempting to use this route to secure their food supply. But they are not the only ones. Food companies and private investors, too, are turning to arable land as a lucrative source of income.
A glaring example of this kind of "neo-colonialism" can be seen in Madagascar, which was recently shaken by a bloody power struggle between the government and the opposition. The shutting down of the opposition-owned television network VIVA TV in January triggered riots that left hundreds dead and wounded. This was followed by the disclosure of a deal between President Marc Ravalomanana and the South Korean company Daewoo. Under the deal, Daewoo was to acquire 1.3 million hectares of cultivable land on a 99-year lease for the intensive farming of forage maize and palm oil for biodiesel production – destined for its domestic market. "We want to plant corn there [in Madagascar] to ensure our food security. Food can be a weapon in this world," Daewoo Manager Hong Jong-wan told the Financial Times. The subsequent violent protests by Malagasy reeling under food scarcity demonstrated just how closely food and violence are interrelated.
The lease project has currently been put on hold due to declining commodity prices and the unstable political situation. After the president’s resignation, his rival Andry Rajoelina proclaimed himself the new head of state. The circumstances of his coming to power are putting the country under growing pressure. Germany discontinued its development assistance to Madagascar, and the country’s membership in the African Union has been suspended. The brunt of this conflict’s ramifications however, will be borne by the Malagasy, as efforts towards sustainable development and conserving the country's unique natural and cultural heritage are set back by years. (Christiane Röttger)
The GRAIN report "Seized: The 2008 landgrab for food and financial security" is available here http://www.grain.org/briefings/?id=212
For more information on the current situation in Madagascar, please see http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=83954
A glaring example of this kind of "neo-colonialism" can be seen in Madagascar, which was recently shaken by a bloody power struggle between the government and the opposition. The shutting down of the opposition-owned television network VIVA TV in January triggered riots that left hundreds dead and wounded. This was followed by the disclosure of a deal between President Marc Ravalomanana and the South Korean company Daewoo. Under the deal, Daewoo was to acquire 1.3 million hectares of cultivable land on a 99-year lease for the intensive farming of forage maize and palm oil for biodiesel production – destined for its domestic market. "We want to plant corn there [in Madagascar] to ensure our food security. Food can be a weapon in this world," Daewoo Manager Hong Jong-wan told the Financial Times. The subsequent violent protests by Malagasy reeling under food scarcity demonstrated just how closely food and violence are interrelated.
The lease project has currently been put on hold due to declining commodity prices and the unstable political situation. After the president’s resignation, his rival Andry Rajoelina proclaimed himself the new head of state. The circumstances of his coming to power are putting the country under growing pressure. Germany discontinued its development assistance to Madagascar, and the country’s membership in the African Union has been suspended. The brunt of this conflict’s ramifications however, will be borne by the Malagasy, as efforts towards sustainable development and conserving the country's unique natural and cultural heritage are set back by years. (Christiane Röttger)
The GRAIN report "Seized: The 2008 landgrab for food and financial security" is available here http://www.grain.org/briefings/?id=212
For more information on the current situation in Madagascar, please see http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=83954
Published in:ECC-Newsletter, April 2009