Land, agriculture and migration

International Migration, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 62(6), P. 289 - 293

Published: Nov. 21, 2024

The 2023 World Development Report (WDR, 2023) on migration is progressive in its advocacy for both and migrants, demonstrating a clear desire to build better world all by reducing the barriers movement mitigating negative effects of hostile or insecure environments those who migrate. Any report topic as large migration—particularly one with ambition encompass whole world—must focus, WDR has chosen concentrate immediate causes moving across international borders, income proxy access larger basket resources rights, what Amartya Sen (1976) would call entitlements. Influenced this proxy, contends that economic inequality between nations largest predictor moves, improve personal circumstance greatest motivation. What falls out primary root historically today: insufficient land benefits (Hermans & McLeman, 2021; Radel et al., 2019; Sassen, 2016), which only imperfectly captured statistics poverty inequality. mentions twice, times chapter gender where rightly argues improved tenure security gives women greater resilience, providing them stability remain place support family. This exclusion continues longer trend Reports. Over past 45 years (1978–2023), WDRs have exhibited an overwhelming urban industrial focus.1 surprising given majority world's poor reside rural areas, they depend remaining subsistence survival. Only three reports focused specifically agriculture (1982, 1986 2008), suggesting are less analysis current conditions improvement therein more achievement trajectories growth (modernization) understood require industrialization development. aspirational vision development transition from economies dominated political perspectives academic theories since economy field intervention Europe late 1700s. Economic strategies deliberately people areas ones, tightening property relations creating rental ownership contracts will allow concentration land, intensification production, release 'unnecessary' underemployed inhabitants (usually smallholders untitled deemed marginal) into cities be absorbed cheap labour production. Even today, concerns about climate change food insecurity led calls sustainable intensification, land-sparing approach intertwines high-yield agricultural production restricted-access natural spaces, likely lead further out-migration (see debate summarized Baudron 2021). When exit countryside, leave behind their means social reproduction: resources. Across latter half 1900s, filled Global South just 30–50 years, leading growing informal populations over-crowded centres.2 None news Bank, developed study policy around governance. A central tenet policies (particularly rights) must strengthened mitigate forced displacement while facilitating voluntary out-migration, furthering livelihood security, competition (German, 2022). common wisdom holders invest confident long-term able use titles collateral bank corporate loans. Bank's Land Governance Assessment Framework intended evaluate strength country's rights rules because agrees such integral endogenous need understand dynamics increased recent due several factors, some highlights others it does not. First, rapid urbanization being accomplished countries sweeping state-led dispossession induced migration. been well documented India China (Andreas 2020; Goldman, Levien, 2018). It also evident Southeast Asia sub-Saharan Africa (Mwesigye Matsumoto, 2016). Second, making vulnerable farmers even vulnerable, pushing borders when drought extreme weather strikes (Clapp Third, remedies include conservation carbon mitigation credit programmes restrict ways may trade household vulnerability ecological resilience (Agrawal Davis Vigil, Fourth, recognition greenhouse gas coal motivated interest biofuels, push replace crops spatially expansive fuel flex implications availability (Borras Jr 2010; Rosa Fifth, series crises mid-2000s insurance, housing automobile markets) along crisis reverberated globally 2006 2007, causing street protests over 60 countries, generated investment came known Grab Wolford 2024). Imperfect data exists these large-scale acquisitions (Edelman, 2013; Liao Agrawal, 2024) but perhaps most significant effect rising prices globe. Higher make difficult communities households retain access, sell forcing nearby cities, borders.3 According compiled International Organization Migration (IOM) Matrix, there overlap highest internal conflict, numbers internally displaced peoples, land.4 Sixth, changes financial markets made easier investors hedge funds pensions farmland. financialization contributes increasing (Ashwood 2022; Fairbairn, 2020). Seventh finally, economic, political, environmental factors combined justify incentivize commodity crop called 'return plantation' (Li Semedi, leads mechanization without resulting local jobs promised. In wake plantations, re-writing favour acquisitions. latest round Policy Law Mozambique, revised facilitate outside investment, generate Mozambique beyond (Bruna 2023; Tanner, One could argue attention scope Report, I including fundamentally perspective If goal was promote discussion, then understanding how governance shape necessary under discussion countries. Several key reshaping we might think policy. rural–urban often first step path not unintended violence, war instability. Rather, intentional theories, policies, prescriptions developing migrants bear stigma having flee, should widely recognized expected component models. migration, particularly poorest arguably North raw materials heavily decentralized global system. Significant expended assist producers expansion, Africa. Indeed, many headquartered live North. While receiving sometimes pitched rhetorically form charity, disguises benefit wealthy northern receive landed South. At minimum, complicated flow foreign direct food, resources, recently, land-based programmes, blurs line sending if seen response can broaden strengthen control community-led decision-making laws rules, cooperative profit sharing 'matrix' organization (Perfecto Vandermeer, 2010) biodiverse small farms, We thank workers accompanied A. Bernich field, Connor Bland Gilbert Coombes. Janet Cosh Herbarium provided plant identification support. Discussions Hillary Cherry Matt Sheahan helped formulate our ideas. opinions expressed Commentary author do necessarily reflect views Editors, Editorial Board, nor John Wiley Sons. NA.

Language: Английский

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Land Grab Double Binds: Peasant Farmers and/in the Ecuadorian Mining Boom

Journal of Agrarian Change, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Nov. 21, 2024

ABSTRACT The expansion of mining in Ecuador has stirred resistance among some Indigenous peasant communities the name territorial rights; others have offered their land and labour to companies. In this similar grab contexts, are often broadly represented as natural resisters or corrupted collaborators, which, we argue, does not account for how peasants with and/or rights weigh options. Napo province, examine adjudicated contradictory socioeconomic pressures and, turn, opted work miners. We highlight methodological political implications centering local ‘participants’ grabs experience untenable choices ‘double binds’ understand efficacy obstacles resistance.

Language: Английский

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Political economy of the ‘agrarian–urban frontier’ in Pakistan: Agrarian transformation, social reproduction and exploitation

Journal of Agrarian Change, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 24(3)

Published: April 25, 2024

Abstract The paper underscores the need to reconsider ontological separation between processes of production and reproduction in context agrarian‐urban interlinkages. It synthesizes ‘value theory inclusion’ with a notion ‘unfair bargaining power’ offer new understanding agrarian change Pakistan. Expansion agrarian–urban frontier, one defining characteristics contemporary Pakistan, constitutes crucial yet undertheorized site value extraction. shows that capital accumulation rely on swift conversion agricultural land into commercial real estate, manifested form gated housing enclaves. This process, hand, accelerates devalourization small‐farm‐based production, other it allows affluent residents enclaves extract gendered surplus labour domestic workers from growing pool ‘classes labour’. In short, expansion frontier is predicated livelihoods exploitation women's labour.

Language: Английский

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NGO-Led Community-Based Conservation: A New Frontier of Territorialization with Implications for Pastoralists’ Land Tenure and Climate Change Adaptation

Land, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 13(6), P. 740 - 740

Published: May 24, 2024

In recent years, many community-based conservancies (CBCs) led by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been established on land inhabited pastoralists in Northern Kenya. Despite a growing body of research, little attention has paid to the impacts pastoralists’ climate change adaptation. We provide deeper understanding considering NGO-led conservation (NGO-led CBC) as new frontier territorialization and adaptation variability social-natural process. Based an analysis primary data collected Samburu County, Kenya, we show that CBC involves resource enclosures aggravate conflicts over rights vulnerability constraining their mobility. relation, legal institutional environment promoted leads increased control ecologically vibrant lands, which erodes tenure security Although plays important role enhancing access external finance incentivizing diversification, governance mechanisms remain opaque overshadow local institutions. Overall, highlight need for actors carefully consider implications this conservation/development model already hard-pressed land-dependent communities.

Language: Английский

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Dispossession, displacement, and disease: The global land squeeze and infectious disease emergence

One Earth, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 7(7), P. 1137 - 1141

Published: July 1, 2024

Language: Английский

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