Large-scale land acquisitions in developing countries – camouflage for ‘land grabbing’?

Oxfam has launched a campaign on the issue of ‘land-grabbing’ – or what others would call ‘large-scale land acquisitions’ – in developing countries around the world, including by foreign governments or companies. Sub-Saharan Africa is viewed as the epicentre of the phenomenon. Some view it as a crucial motor of development and improved food security; others as the latest incarnation of ‘neo-colonialism’. The debate is an impassioned one.

This note describes the current Oxfam campaign to persuade the World Bank to introduce a six-month moratorium on agricultural lending that involves large-scale land acquisitions while it reviews its policies to prevent its loans being used for ‘land grabbing’, along with the response of the World Bank to the campaign. It also includes recent UK Government statements on the issue and a brief survey of current multilateral initiatives.

It should also be noted that the International Development Committee has begun an inquiry into Global Food Security.