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Join the Wilson Center's Africa and Asia Programs for a critical discussion on "land grabs" in the Global South, focusing on the implications of large-scale land acquisitions. With insights from Karol Boudreaux, USAID's Africa Land Tenure Specialist, the event will address pressing concerns such as rising demand for land, weak governance systems, the impacts on women, and the community. We will explore responses and frameworks like the VGGT and the G8's New Alliance aimed at protecting land and resource rights. Your participation is vital in shaping sustainable solutions to these global challenges.
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The Wilson Center’s Africa Program and Asia Program present: So-Called Land Grabs in the Global South: Reality and Repercussions? Wednesday, November 28, 2012 2:00 – 4:00pm 6th Floor Flom Auditorium
The Challenges of Large-Scale Land Acquisitions Karol Boudreaux USAID Africa Land Tenure Specialist
Recent Headlines “CAMBODIA: Rural poor lose out in land deals” “Multinationals grab African land” “FOOD: Land-grabbing linked with hunger” “Report: 'Unbridled' Rush for Land Grabs Leaving a Billion Hungry” “Biofuels, food speculation pushing further land grabs” “The great green land grab: "Land grabbing" is rarely out of the headlines”
Sources of concern • Rising demand/competing uses • Biofuel • Agriculture • Timber/forestry • Extractives • Conservation • Urban expansion • Weak consultative process/poor engagement • Weak land governance systems/rent seeking
Weak land governance is at the heart of large-scale land acquisitions Legal pluralism contributes to ambiguous rights Limited capacity/limited resources Overwhelmed customary systems Vested interests/corruption Compounded problems for women
Some of the gender impacts • Loss of land and resource rights • Lost livelihoods • Costs to gather wood/water • Displacements from social networks • Increased vulnerability Source: jonhaylett.co.uk
Recent responses VGGT G8’s New Alliance Farmland Principles ISO 26000 RAI
Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGTs) • Soft Int’l Law • Participatory process • Recognize/Respect • Safeguard • Facilitate • Access to Justice/Services • Prevent Dispute/Conflict
VGGTs are a response to: Rising food prices, food insecurity Large-scale acquisitions Harms to communities Increasing recognition of need to address customary/informal tenure concerns Desire for more integrated/participatory approach Need to protect & empower all users
Encouraging Government Actions • VGGTs provide guidance to states to: • Improve service provision • Increase access to justice • Reduce corruption • Improve transparency & accountability • Recognize customary & informal rights, rights of IPs • Eliminate discrimination • Promote responsible investment • Address expropriation, redistribution, consolidation • Address valuation, taxation
Implementing the VGGTs • Adopted May 2012 • G8/New Alliance commitments, including funding/implementation commitments • Efforts to implement will be bilateral/multilateral • New facility at FAO • What will it look like on the ground? • For communities • For private sector • For governments
How can the private sector help? • Recognize & respect legitimate rights • Advocate for joint rights/women’s rights • Increased focus on collaborative contracting • Partnering with producer groups – men & women • What’s exciting? • B-20 Task Force Recommendations • Farmland Principles • ISO Standards • Impact Investing • New Alliance
What else is needed? Technology Expanded legal education Expanded access to justice Resources to implement commitments Continued CSO/NGO support Spotlight on this issue
What is USAID doing? • Assisting efforts to secure land & resource rights in worldwide programming • Legal/policy reform • Building host capacity, public awareness • Engaging with customary authorities • Supporting NGOs/CSOs • Supporting New Alliance efforts • Supporting implementation of VGGT
Secure land and property rights:stronger communities, more productive economies Source: Gregory Myers, USAID
THANK YOU For more information please visit: www.usaidlandtenure.net
The Wilson Center’s Africa Program and Asia Program present: So-Called Land Grabs in the Global South: Reality and Repercussions? Wednesday, November 28, 2012 2:00 – 4:00pm 6th Floor Flom Auditorium