Struggling for land access: The success and failure of social movement actors’ framing strategies in conflicts over large-scale land transformations

Konflikte um großflächige Landtransformationen zugunsten von Bergbau und Agrarindustrie haben in den letzten Jahren stark zugenommen. Dieser Artikel untersucht die diskursive Dimension dieser Konflikte. Im Zentrum steht die Frage nach dem Erfolg oder Misserfolg von framing Strategien sozialer Bewegungsakteure. Ob framing Strategien erfolgreich sind oder nicht lässt sich einerseits anhand von diskursiven Gelegenheitsstrukturen (DOS) erklären. Andererseits beeinflussen die Konstruktion ihrer Zukunftsvisionen und Fähigkeiten unterschiedlicher Bewegungsakteure, sowie ihrer Gegenspieler_innen, inwiefern Bewegungsakteure sich mit ihren Forderungen durchsetzen können. Empirisch wird ein Konflikt um eine Goldmine mit einem Konflikt um ein agrarindustrielles Projekt im Senegal verglichen. Dieser Vergleich zeigt, dass DOS unterschiedlich ausgestaltet sind, abhängig vom Zweck der Inwertsetzung von Land, also für Bergbau oder Agrarindustrie. Gleichzeitig gibt es Gemeinsamkeiten in den Diskursen, in Bezug auf die Abwägung von sozialen und ökologischen Risiken. Diese übergreifende Struktur der Diskurse kann jedoch von unterschiedlichen Akteuren nicht gleichermaßen genutzt werden. Der Artikel leistet einen Beitrag zum Verständnis der Bedeutung von Diskursen und framing Strategien in Konflikten um großflächige Landtransformationen. Gleichzeitig werden Stärken und Schwächen eines theoretischen Rahmens aufgezeigt, der DOS und framing kombiniert.Struggles over meaning construction are an essential part of conflicts over large-scale land transformations. To advance the land access claims of local communities, social movement actors engage in specific framing strategies to mobilize resources and support. This article explores how the discursive context shapes the success or failure of social movement actors’ framing strategies in conflicts over large-scale mining and agro-industrial projects. Discursive opportunity structures (DOS) and framing are the key theoretical concepts used. I argue that the outcomes of framing strategies can only be understood when we combine DOS with a thorough analysis of social movement actors’ ability to act on the opportunities provided by discursive structures. Empirically, the study compares conflicts over gold mining and agro-industry in Senegal. Some elements of the discursive structures differ depending on the purpose of the large-scale land transformation in question and as such provide distinct opportunities for social movement actors. Other elements of the discursive structure are tied to large-scale land transformations in general. As the empirical analysis shows, not all social movement actors can use these opportunities in the same way. The article contributes to our understanding of the importance of discourses and framing strategies in conflicts over large-scale land transformations. Conceptually, I explore the strengths and weaknesses of a theoretical framework combining DOS and framing

A case for making climate aid help small-scale farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa prevent land grabbing – and the would-be priorities of members of relevant NGOs

This thesis looks at the issues of land grabbing and climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Taking the situations of small-scale farmers – the dominant group of people population-wise and producers of 90 percent of the subcontinent’s food – as its focus, it also looks at how climate change might make land grabbing worse. It is argued that climate change will do so because of: decreased agricultural productivity both in land-grabbing countries and in Sub-Saharan Africa; the rise of the agrofuel industry; because of improving terms-of-trade for primary commodities; because of carbon compensation schemes; and because of risk diversification in the face of extreme weather events, among other factors. Agrofuels will likely play the largest part. Therefore, the thesis also proposes a new type of climate aid to help small-scale farmers prevent land-grabbing. It argues that the chances for the proposed climate aid to become a reality are reasonable, foremost because of geopolitical struggles in general and for agricultural land in particular, but hopefully also because the international community realizes that helping small-scale farmers manage these double threats will gain the whole world. However, the aid will neither be called ‘climate aid to prevent land grabbing’ or the like, nor will it be disbursed through the UNFCCC platform and the Green Climate Fund. This is due both to the proposed climate aid’s controversial elements in the eyes of prospective land grabbers and to the current lack of climate aid. Unfortunately, one of the two parts of the thesis suffered from a methodology come undone. This had major consequences for the main research effort, namely to learn from small-scale farmers, represented to some extent by members of relevant NGOs, about which priorities the proposed climate aid should have according to them, if it was to be implemented. Since the methodology broke down (a development discussed in the thesis) the thesis in large part is a call for further research

Global Dialogue Report - Sustainability and Growth: Sao Paulo

The Global Dialogue on Sustainability, Climate Change and Economic Growth was held in São Paulo in October 2011. It was co-organised by the Brazilian Centre for Analysis and Planning (CEBRAP) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). The idea was to bring together practitioners and thinkers to explore through dialogue the key issues relating to sustainability, climate change and economic growth both now and over the next 20 or 30 years. It was a diverse and broad-based gathering that not only included entrepreneurs, directors of philanthropic organisations and researchers but also made a particular effort to include spokespeople from marginalised communities -- indigenous and riverine small-holder representatives from the Amazon and Atlantic rainforest regions and a pastoralist representative from Ethiopia -- who have often been excluded from conventional debates about sustainability, climate change and economic growth. These conventional debates focus on the biological and scientific aspects of environmental resilience, climate change and conservation, and often overlook indigenous people whose knowledge is key to meeting these challenges but whose livelihoods and wellbeing are threatened by unrestrained economic growth and technological expansion. The key issues for philanthropists identified during the Dialogue were: Recognising diversity and respecting plural perspectives on challenges and opportunities;Facilitating autonomy through hands-on engagement with grassroots initiatives, going beyond short-term project cycles and allowing for local-level learning;Supporting relationships, helping to build networks and broker connections between different levels, sectors and interests; andAddressing power and politics in both forms of knowledge (integrating the social and the biological) and governance and decision-making processes, recognising that democratisation plays a critical role in relation to sustainability, climate change and economic growth

Realizing women's rights to land and other productive resources

The purpose of this publication is to provide detailed guidance for lawmakers and policymakers, as well as civil society organizations and other stakeholders, to support the adoption and effective implementation of laws, policies and programmes to respect, protect and fulfil women's rights to land and other productive resources. It is based on the results of an expert group meeting held on 25-27 June 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland, during which papers were presented from various sectors and regions. These papers, and the discussions which were informed by them, helped to bring to the surface many of the critical issues facing women today in relation to the enjoyment of their land rights. The publication also incorporates additional case studies submitted by key experts, as well as extensive thematic research

Flood Prevention and Sustainable Spatial Planning. The Case of the River Diakoniaris in Patras Authors: D. Vespiniadou, E. Athanasopoulou

The danger of floods from overflow of rivers that crosses urban regions is a frequent phenomenon that concerns many of European countries. In the framework of Sustainable Spatial Planning arise some serious questions for the way that should such phenomena be handled, apart from the purely hydraulic conventional interventions. Noteworthy that at his flow a river runs through usually at all the length completely dissimilar regions as long as they concern in geomorphology but also their urban characteristics (urban density, existing land uses etc). Through the experience of other countries, different approaches in institutional and urban metres will be studied. Also, the possibility of redesigning the flood region of urban rivers will be examinated, proposing suitable uses per case. The article will investigate the example of Diakoniaris River in Patras/Greece It is a river that crosses the coastal city of Patras in length of 4 kilometres roughly in address E-W, and in the past (1962,.2001) he has created catastrophic floods. Our approach focuses on the suggestion of proposed institutional regulations but also methodological approaches that concern in the flood-preventing protection of urban regions

Land Insecurity in Gulu, Uganda: A Clash Between Culture and Capitalism

This paper presents the causes and consequences of land insecurity in Gulu, Uganda. In order to address this important and often sensitive issue, the paper analyzes the role of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency and the government’s policy of forced encampment during the insurgency in contributing to land insecurity, causing widespread displacement among former internally displaced persons (IDPs). It further explores the importance of land ownership in providing economic productivity to rural landowners, as well as the nature of customary land tenure in Acholi culture and the government’s efforts to privatize communal land, to give a background on the economic and cultural importance of land ownership. To complete this research, the researcher held interviews with multiple informants in Gulu and Kampala. Cultural leaders contributed their knowledge of traditional Acholi culture and their role in land dispute mediation, NGO professionals outlined multiple challenges Gulu residents face regarding land rights and the efforts of civil society organizations in reversing these challenges, and government officials provided information regarding the complicated legality of land ownership, including the constitutional right to customary land tenure, land title registration and the controversial constitutional amendment regarding forced land acquisition currently under debate in the Parliament of Uganda. Additionally, the researcher spoke to rural property owners in Gulu about the challenges they currently face with their land and the impacts of both the LRA insurgency and development projects on their perceived land security. This research concludes that the LRA insurgency and current land grabbing and privatization efforts have contributed greatly to land insecurity in Gulu. The insurgency led to the destruction of demarcations traditionally used to determine property boundaries, as well as land grabbing by government officials, investors and former IDPs who were left without land after the conflict. The increasing prevalence of development projects also makes residents fear forced evictions from their property, which has a negative impact on their economic productivity. In order to reverse this trend, the researcher argues the government must shift its focus on the monetary value of land and instead recognize the emphasis Acholi culture places on communal land ownership

Biofuels Expansion and Their Differentiated Social-political Impacts in Developing Countries: A Comparative Account between Land Grabs and Social Sustainability in Honduras.

The present study is concerned with the expansion of biofuel production and two revealing and contrasting impacts caused in Honduras. The biofuels complex emerges as a sustainable alternative to cope with pressing problems related to climate change, energy insecurity and environmental degradation. However such an argument becomes problematic as land expansion for biofuels entails land-use changes and limitations to land tenure and access to the rural poor. The latter is recently known as the phenomenon of land grabbing in developing countries. The problematic to tackle around these biofuels’ impacts is captured in two cases in Honduras. The first one, showing a case in which biofuel expansion has created political conflict, displacement and dispossession for rural communities and peasants struggling for land. On the other hand, another case shows a small-scale project that enhances sustainable development and socially inclusive results. The study compares the contrasting impacts based on empirical data from reports and studies about both cases. The aim is to understand the differences of both cases from a critique neoliberalism and a from a social sustainable development approach in order to analyse the reasons behind those differences. My argument draws on the assumption of an existent convergence of actors and approaches which are intrinsically materialized on the contrasting impacts. Therefore actors and approaches play key roles in those differentiated impacts. The study also reveals the emerging complexities around biofuels with key roles played by the state, governments and international organizations in developing countries

Blue Economy, Blue Growth, Social Equity and Small-scale Fisheries: A Global and National Level Review

One of the most promising economic arenas in the coming decades is the ocean and there are currently numerous initiatives to the ‘blue economy’ discourse that revolves around the argument that small-scale fishers’ livelihoods require greater attention. To synthesize current scientific knowledge and address prevailing research gaps surrounding this discourse, I conduct a scoping review of global literature on the blue economy, blue growth, social equity, and Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) analyse different international policy papers and national-level blue economy plans. To explore the need for further research, this review focuses on how different aspects of the blue economy risks lead to inequity in the pursuit of ocean sustainability. Based on the initial content analysis, I identify evidence for undermining social equity and justice related to the ocean and find that social equity is often overlooked in national-level blue economy and blue growth initiatives. This overlooking leads to or accelerates processes of coastal and ocean grabbing, displacement, dispossession, and exclusion which strongly impact the livelihoods of marginalized coastal communities, particularly, small-scale fishers in various parts of the world. The collected evidence suggests that there is a missing link between international policy deliberations and national-level implementation plans in the blue economy context. Numerous studies claim that critical re-thinking of policies is required to ensure the sustainability of blue economy trajectories. Unchecked economic growth in the ocean as in other realms can reinforce inequities and unjust and inequitable resource distribution patterns. To pre-empt, mitigate, and resolve likely conflicts, deeper insights are needed to address the impacts of the blue economy and blue growth on coastal livelihoods. I suggest investigating the causes of conflict and further research on how governance responds to sustain small-scale fisheries while embracing the blue economy and blue growth agendas