Social and Environmental Dimension of Large-Scale Land Acquisitions Lesson: Part 3

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The acquisition or leasing of large tracts of land in the Global South by investors—both foreign and in-country—has grown dramatically. Many of these transactions represent agricultural investments in land where crop and livestock production will occur and where there is sufficient water. Indeed, water availability is often a major driver of such land purchases. Most of the acquired land, however, is in low- and middle-income countries where indigenous peoples often govern the land and water and view them as common property. Here, farms are small-scale, low-yield holdings where products go to local markets. Investors seek to make profits by increasing crop production through large-scale commercial agriculture, focusing on commodities with high-export market value. Investors often make promises up front that by bringing new technologies and jobs, their investments will benefit local communities and reduce poverty; however, these claims are highly contested. If investments fail, they can leave local people with degraded land and depleted water supplies, while also displacing them to marginal lands or forcing them to migrate long distances.  

Decisions over the use and sale of land at global scales, as well as their associated social and environmental impacts, are not easy to trace—transactions usually lack transparency. Thus, understanding the extent and impact of large-scale land acquisitions (LSLA) requires detective-like research approaches in which quantitative and qualitative information together reveal patterns and stories. This lesson involves three sessions. This third session (Part 3) gives learners time to complete their exploration of textual documents (from the last session, Part 2) and ends with a homework assignment to develop a well-researched, evidence-based editorial suitable for an outlet such as The New York Times.