Comments on: The latest (big) numbers on land grabs, and some powerful case studies http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856 duncan green poverty to power oxfam development Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:19 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Duncan http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856&cpage=1#comment-103118 Duncan Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:30:23 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856#comment-103118 Hi Sigrid, The latest publication from the partnership is the recent ILC report on http://www.commercialpressuresonland.org/?cat=5. I understand there will be updates in future as well Hi Sigrid, The latest publication from the partnership is the recent ILC report on http://www.commercialpressuresonland.org/?cat=5. I understand there will be updates in future as well

]]> By: Sigrid http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856&cpage=1#comment-103111 Sigrid Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:52:12 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856#comment-103111 Hi Duncan, Like David I am also really keen on seeing the data compiled by the Land Matrix Partnership. Do you know when and where it will be available (I see this was posted in October last year). Hi Duncan,

Like David I am also really keen on seeing the data compiled by the Land Matrix Partnership.

Do you know when and where it will be available (I see this was posted in October last year).

]]> By: Anita Bellows http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856&cpage=1#comment-101350 Anita Bellows Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:11:22 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856#comment-101350 Whether you like it or not, these evictions were totally legal, unless you are also planning to challenge the Dale Farm evictions and ask compensation for the evictees. Uganda has its own legislation, which does not protect customary rights very well, but why not fight for this rather than attack a company which has tried to conform to what was expected from it, to not encroach on national sovereignty and has been going out of its way to make it a fair and ethical process. The rights of the evictees can only be entrenched in national laws and not dictated by the whims of a company or an NGO. It would have been honest to make this point, and not to resort to uncorroborated or untrue allegations. The violence you described following testimonies of the evictees is denied by all official organs, by previous illegal settlers in the forest reserves and especially by a press release from the Ugandan government asking Oxfam to rewrite a more “accurate” report and denouncing a neo-colonial mindset, and not corroborated by the newspapers published at the time (Read the article of New Vision published in January 2010 which alludes to peaceful and voluntary evictions, the evictees being allowed to come back on the reserves to take their possessions and to harvest their fields). True or not, I do not know, but I suspect neither do you. Furthermore, you have been ignoring the impact that such a report could have on Ugandan people, who resent Oxfam’s interference in their own affairs enormously, a little bit like an Ugandan NGO writing a report about the violent evictions of Dale Farm, and in the process putting out of business a British company, with a loss of 500+ jobs, a company which on the face of it seems to be effectively a blueprint of what a company investing in Africa should be. The worst is that you or Oxfam are making it impossible for anybody to present an alternative point of view. Comments in the press are being censored. You are maybe powerful, but it happens that sometimes you are wrong. This is one of these times. Does Oxfam plan to compensate the laid-workers for their loss of livelihoods? Whether you like it or not, these evictions were totally legal, unless you are also planning to challenge the Dale Farm evictions and ask compensation for the evictees. Uganda has its own legislation, which does not protect customary rights very well, but why not fight for this rather than attack a company which has tried to conform to what was expected from it, to not encroach on national sovereignty and has been going out of its way to make it a fair and ethical process. The rights of the evictees can only be entrenched in national laws and not dictated by the whims of a company or an NGO. It would have been honest to make this point, and not to resort to uncorroborated or untrue allegations. The violence you described following testimonies of the evictees is denied by all official organs, by previous illegal settlers in the forest reserves and especially by a press release from the Ugandan government asking Oxfam to rewrite a more “accurate” report and denouncing a neo-colonial mindset, and not corroborated by the newspapers published at the time (Read the article of New Vision published in January 2010 which alludes to peaceful and voluntary evictions, the evictees being allowed to come back on the reserves to take their possessions and to harvest their fields). True or not, I do not know, but I suspect neither do you.
Furthermore, you have been ignoring the impact that such a report could have on Ugandan people, who resent Oxfam’s interference in their own affairs enormously, a little bit like an Ugandan NGO writing a report about the violent evictions of Dale Farm, and in the process putting out of business a British company, with a loss of 500+ jobs, a company which on the face of it seems to be effectively a blueprint of what a company investing in Africa should be.
The worst is that you or Oxfam are making it impossible for anybody to present an alternative point of view. Comments in the press are being censored. You are maybe powerful, but it happens that sometimes you are wrong. This is one of these times.
Does Oxfam plan to compensate the laid-workers for their loss of livelihoods?

]]> By: Dr Raj Thamotheram http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856&cpage=1#comment-78860 Dr Raj Thamotheram Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:59:52 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856#comment-78860 This sounds rather worrying. You may be aware that some major investors have come together to formulate a new set of Principles for investing in Farmland. Here is info about the principles themselves: http://www.unpri.org/commodities/Farmland%20Principles_Sept2011_final.pdf And for info about the project/key organisations so far: http://www.unpri.org/commodities/Farmland%20Principles%20-%20background%20and%20history.pdf I would be very interested to hear what you and readers of this blog think of this approach. One thing I think we need to consider is that the easy answer - to avoid such investments - means the field is wide open to sovereign wealth funds and UHNWIs from countries where democracy, accountability etc etc are even less on the cards than they are in West. This sounds rather worrying.

You may be aware that some major investors have come together to formulate a new set of Principles for investing in Farmland.

Here is info about the principles themselves:
http://www.unpri.org/commodities/Farmland%20Principles_Sept2011_final.pdf

And for info about the project/key organisations so far: http://www.unpri.org/commodities/Farmland%20Principles%20-%20background%20and%20history.pdf

I would be very interested to hear what you and readers of this blog think of this approach.

One thing I think we need to consider is that the easy answer – to avoid such investments – means the field is wide open to sovereign wealth funds and UHNWIs from countries where democracy, accountability etc etc are even less on the cards than they are in West.

]]> By: Duncan http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856&cpage=1#comment-73071 Duncan Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:35:04 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856#comment-73071 Cleaning up the data still under way David, should be released in a month or two - will blog on it when it's out Cleaning up the data still under way David, should be released in a month or two – will blog on it when it’s out

]]> By: David Zetland http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856&cpage=1#comment-73026 David Zetland Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:57:00 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856#comment-73026 Duncan -- where can I see the deal-by-deal data? David (dzetland@gmail.com) Duncan — where can I see the deal-by-deal data?

David (dzetland@gmail.com)

]]> By: Mohammad Faisal http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856&cpage=1#comment-65595 Mohammad Faisal Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:25:59 +0000 http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=6856#comment-65595 In India, the story is slightly different. Massive Land grab for Rapid urbanization of the country is taking place with the consent of the land owners who are small farmers. We should not forget all this is happening in Indo-Gangetic plains, which is indeed most fertile land of the world. All this land is going to be converted into modern cities where there were agricultural fields. There is a slogan to attaract and make up the mind of farmers "Leave Agriculture and count Currency notes. And almost all ignorant farmers are being trapped like this with no alternative livelihood for the coming generations. It is a generational loss of livelihood. But it is taking place with consent and active participation of government and banks. Recently few farmers challenged this in High Court and got favourable judgements but still it is a burning issue which has no answers. In India, the story is slightly different. Massive Land grab for Rapid urbanization of the country is taking place with the consent of the land owners who are small farmers. We should not forget all this is happening in Indo-Gangetic plains, which is indeed most fertile land of the world. All this land is going to be converted into modern cities where there were agricultural fields. There is a slogan to attaract and make up the mind of farmers “Leave Agriculture and count Currency notes. And almost all ignorant farmers are being trapped like this with no alternative livelihood for the coming generations. It is a generational loss of livelihood. But it is taking place with consent and active participation of government and banks. Recently few farmers challenged this in High Court and got favourable judgements but still it is a burning issue which has no answers.

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