International instruments influencing the rights of people facing investments in agricultural land

Publication

Sanne van der Wal

S. Heri

A. ten Kate

E. B. Bonanomi

K. Gehne

1 February 2011

In recent years private investors and governments have increasingly acquired or leasedon a long-term basis large portions of agricultural land in countriesother than their own. The targeted countries are mostly located in the developing world. The phenomenon of “land grabbing” will bring about many changes in land use and ultimate crop destination, beyond the steady global trend of increasing land use for commodities. To reap the benefits of increased investment flows to the agricultural sector in developing countries, these investments need to be responsible, which presumes an enabling policy environment. This is, however, often not the case in the land-grabbing deals at hand, and also not the case in the general global trend of increasing land use for commodity trading.