Impacts on natural resources and livelihoods in developing countries

Tuesday, 18 May, 2010, 9:00 – 12:45 h
ETH Zurich, Main Building, Semperaula, G60
Rämistrasse 101, Zurich

Free entrance, no registration required, conference language English

Transnational agricultural investment

International investment in agriculture is not new. Foreign owned plantations
and land lease have existed for long. In 2008, however, the food crisis with its
enormous increase in commodity prices brought the rush for land to a new
dimension, driven by the demand for food, water and energy security.
Transnational agricultural investment, in recent debates also referred to as
“land grab”, is taking place on all continents, with the bulk of these deals
made in Africa. Net food importers are anxious to secure their long-term food
needs through agreements. These agreements are entered predominantly
with poor and food insecure countries – countries with a seemingly large
proportion of unutilised or underutilised land.

Risks and potentials

In conditions where property rights are not guaranteed, the disadvantages of
such land deals are evident: Farmers are rarely compensated when ownership
shifts to foreign land holders, and local food security is further threatened. So
far, negative economic and social implications have dominated the debate,
but ecological consequences of an intensified use of natural resources are
prone to arise. On the other hand, foreign investment in agriculture does have
substantial potential: A flow of resources and know-how, the creation of
employment, an improved infrastructure, and an increased agricultural
productivity could certainly benefit developing countries.

The need for action

To ensure that agricultural investments provide broad benefits and effectively
contribute to development, actors at different levels have acknowledged the
need for action – for example through the elaboration of a code of conduct for
land deals. Yet, the knowledge base is still rather weak and mostly focused on
case studies.

At the North-South Forum we will discuss these issues with researchers,
research funders, policy-makers, and practitioners working in international
development and cooperation.

With Ralf Leonhard, FoodFirst Information and Action Network (FIAN), Austria

Livelihood impact of land acquisitions in Kenya (10:30 h)