The New Enclosures: Critical Perspectives on Corporate Land Deals

Abstract

More details/abstract:The contributions to this collection use the tools of agrarian political economy to explore the rapid growth and complex dynamics of large-scale land deals in recent years, with a special focus on the implications of big land deals for property and labour regimes, labour processes and structures of accumulation. The first part of this introductory essay examines the implications of this agrarian political economy perspective. First we explore the continuities and contrasts between historical and contemporary land grabs, before examining the core underlying debate around large-versus small-scale farming futures. Next, we unpack the diverse contexts and causes of land grabbing today, highlighting six overlapping mechanisms. The following section turns to assessing the crisis narratives that frame the justifications for land deals, and the flaws in the argument around there being excess, empty or idle land available. Next the paper turns to an examination of the impacts of land deals, and the processes of inclusion and exclusion at play, before looking at patterns of resistance and constructions of alternatives. The final section introduces the papers in the collection. Version: Final version (open access)Terms of use: This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-andconditions This is a download from OpenDocs at the Institute of Development Studies PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLETaylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/termsand-conditionsThe new enclosures: critical perspectives on corporate land deals Ben White, Saturnino M. Borras Jr....

Rural household incomes and land grabbing in Cambodia

“….land seen officially as marginal or empty is set aside for commodity production". Yet, as also noted by White et al (2012), there are very few household-level studies, of which almost none are quantitative, on land grabbing and the consequences of land grabbing for the welfare of affected households. Quantifying the impact of land grabbing on local welfare requires an understanding of the economic importance of land and natural resources to local incomes, including incomes from non-agricultural land areas such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands.…”

“…While establishment of the ELCs lead directly to decreased local household incomes, there may be unmeasured welfare gains as concession companies tend to hire skilled workers from outside (LICADHO, 2005;White et al, 2012) and house them in concession company compounds (e.g. in connection to the rubber plantation in Tum Ring Commune in Khampong Thom Province).…”

“…Yet such lands, often managed informally according to local customs, are frequently portrayed as "un-owned" and hence available as state land for allocation to centrally decided purposes (Alden Wily, 2012;Scheidel et al, 2013;White et al, 2012). Such interventions will have large economic impacts on rural households in Cambodia; indeed our results confirm the existing argument that economic land concessions lead to decreased household environmental income due to clearance of mosaic agricultural and forest landscapes where rural households access a diverse portfolio of environmental products for both subsistence and cash incomes LICADHO, 2005;Subedi, 2012).…”

“…Examples include royal appropriation of timber and game on private and communal lands in 11th century England (Aberth, 2013), the European scramble for land in Africa in the New Imperialism period (Pakenham, 1992), allocation of lands to commodity producers in the colonial era such as Dutch coffee growers on Sumatra (Potter, 2008), and post-colonial government facilitated land reforms such as corporate pulpwood plantations on former communal land in Lao PDR (Barney, 2008). Much recent literature on privatization and enclosure in the south has focused on land grabbing; a popular term for the large-scale acquisition of land or land related rights and resources by corporate (business, non-profit or public) entities (White et al, 2012). Land grabbing has increased rapidly in countries in the south in recent years (Borras and Franco, 2012;Cotula, 2012;Deininger and Byerlee, 2011;GRAIN, 2008).…”

Paying for nature: what every conservationist should know about political economy

“…It is likely that in low-income nations, in particular, the potential wealth to be gained from commodified environmental services will lead to a strong incentive for elites (local, national and international) to take control of natural resources (Sandbrook et al, 2010). Green grabs could thus mirror the spate of recent agricultural land grabs, which have seen a range of corporate and state interests securing access to land for the cultivation of food crops and biofuels, dispossessing rural households in the process (Cotula & Vermeulen, 2009;Demirbas, 2009;White et al, 2012). Green grabs have already been documented in a number of different contexts and geographical locations.…”