Abstract
“Land grabs” emerged as a new and prominent global trend in the early twenty-first century. These investments have been promoted as win-win scenarios by multilateral institutions like the World Bank, while simultaneously being criticized by many organizations and think tanks. Since 2011, The Oakland Institute has conducted extensive field research across numerous countries around the world to examine the social, economic, and environmental impacts of foreign land grabs. This paper uses The Oakland Institute’s research to critically examine six commonly held beliefs regarding large-scale land acquisitions. It then draws upon recent research by The Oakland Institute to examine the role of agroecology as an alternative option for agricultural investment that promotes environmental preservation, social fairness, and economic viability.
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Fraser, E., Mittal, A. (2017). The Truth About Land Grabs: A Review of the Oakland Institute’s Reports on Large-Scale Land Investments in the Twenty-First Century. In: Wamboye, E., Tiruneh, E. (eds) Foreign Capital Flows and Economic Development in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53496-5_11
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