"They are 227 million hectares of land sold, leased or licensed for use around the world since 2001 - says the NGO - An area equivalent north-western Europe. The expansion of the phenomenon, endangers the poorest communities, who lose homes and livelihoods, sometimes as a result of violence, without being consulted and compensated without having to resort to means. Not all of the 227 million hectares are classified as land grabbing, but behind the acquisitions of land lies often this phenomenon. The lack of transparency and the secrecy surrounding these trades of land make it difficult to calculate the exact numbers. Nevertheless, Oxfam and its partners have analyzed about 1,100 agreements for the acquisition of 67 million hectares, 50% of sales were made in Africa, covering an area almost equal to the size of Germany. "
The report data were collected by the Land Matrix Partnership, a coalition of academic, scientific and non-governmental Oxfam part together with the International Land Coalition, the universities of Bern and Hamburg, the Cirad French and German Agency for technical cooperation Giz.
The report notes that "the wave of agreements on earth is happening today in the poorest countries is not that time of development that millions of peasants waiting for years. While the race to buy land in developing countries intensifies, it is the poorest pay the price. This report reveals that most of the time these agreements will damage the interests of those who cultivate the land, rewarding local elites or large domestic and international investors. This happens because the poor do not have the power to claim their rights and protect their interests. Oxfam calls on businesses and governments to take action to protect the rights of local communities and to change the power relations between large investors and local communities. Just so the investment on the land will promote food security and local economic development. "
Francesco Petrelli, president of Oxfam Italy noted that "The unprecedented number of trades and the growing competition for land is occurring on the skin of the world's poorest. In this new gold rush, investors ignore the rights of local communities whose economies are based on the ground, "says" The scandal is that 80% of the land remains unused cornered. This new gold rush will intensify in the future, due to the increasing demand for food, climate change, water scarcity and increased production of biofuels which removes thousands of acres for food production. "
In fact all the indicators examined in the report suggest a more than likely acceleration in the race to land in the next few years. "Suffice it to say that nearly three billion people live in regions where the demand for water exceeds supply - says Oxfarm - The global economy also will triple in size by 2050, with a growing demand for natural resources. Palm oil is the most consumed in the world and is used in about half of the packaged food and hygiene products. It is expected that its production to double by 2050, increasing the cultivated area of 24 million hectares, six times the area of the Netherlands. "
The report, which is part of Oxfam's global campaign "Grow" does justice to some of the "myths" associated with investments on land in poor countries and describes the devastating effects that land grabbing was in Uganda, South Sudan, Indonesia, Honduras and Guatemala. Oxfarm complaint that "In Uganda, for example, at least 22,500 people have lost their homes and land following the expropriation suffered at the hands of the New Forest Company (NFC), a British company specializing in the production of timber. Many people have been taken away by force, and they have no means of livelihood, or ability to send their children to school. There were court orders against the NFC and eyewitnesses reported that the company's employees took part themselves to some expropriations. However, the NFC denies being involved. "
According to Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam's director general, "the Uganda case clearly shows how land grabs vulnerable populations without any safety net. Thousands of people are in big trouble after being transferred and dispossessed of their property without being consulted or rewarded. Oxfam calls for investors, governments, and international organizations to put an end to land grabbing by changing the current policies that do not provide procedures subsidiaries and the fair treatment of local communities, or the compliance with international standards. "
For Oxfam report comes the support (we do not know how much appreciated) Confagricoltura that says that the document confirming his repeated warnings.
The "Confindustria" Italian farmers, who unlike Oxfarm apperova GMOs, says, "This new gold rush that is expected to gradually intensify in the coming years, confirms the centrality of agriculture in the fate of the world now we can no longer ignore, both in economic terms, both in the social. Already in 2040 to meet the demand for food will need 70% of agricultural production in most such invariance means than today, but the current Common Agricultural Policy does not account for this alarming fact. "
President of Confagricoltura, Mario Guidi, recalls that "In June, in Paris, global symbols representing 120 farmers have signed a joint document clarifying that the main mission of agriculture is to feed the population and that the challenge of food twenty-first century requires an increase in the quantity and quality of production. At the same time we wanted to emphasize the need for transparency and knowledge of lists of stocks and into every part of the world, stimulating the relevant international organizations to establish standards and market positioning that affect the agricultural raw materials in order to avoid speculative excesses. It 'clear that in this context, the Italian agriculture must retrieve productivity and propensity to market. Companies need to be directed more towards competitive economic dimensions, because in times of crisis should not be afraid of change, but to manage it. Italy raises only when you are unable to grow businesses and agriculture in the future will be increasingly important, whether you want it or not. And make agriculture means, first of all, to produce. "
It's not exactly what he says Oxfarm in the conclusions of his report: "The global market calls for more agricultural raw materials, and this can be to the benefit of local communities in a time when investor interest increases. However, today there are more risks than opportunities for the community. E 'need to shift the balance of power in favor of the poorest and those most threatened by the agreements for the acquisition of land. The communities have a right to know and to decide and this right must be respected by all parties involved. We need to act at different levels to ensure that things will change and really to resolve conflicts that arise because of the agreements on earth. "
- See more at: http://www.greenreport.it/_archivio2011/index.php?page=default&id=12429&cat=Aree%20protette%20e%20biodiversit%E0#sthash.adL9VdQe.dpuf
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