An Alliance for Action
Role play on Land Grabbingand the right to food
22-26 November 2010Desmond Tutu Training Center
Angeline Munzara Food Campaign Coordinator
Background
We are in Watooland a poor country whose mainresources are agriculture and mining. 75% of the population lives off the land, of which ¾ aresedentary and live on agriculture and ¼ are nomads and live on livestock. 50% of thepopulation is illiterate. 45% of the population
suffersfrom malnutrition. The country has recently become a democracy, butthe habits of corruption left by the dictatorship aredifficult to eradicate. In good years, there is enough food for everyone.Unfortunately in 2007 to 2009, a very dry weatherhas meant that many villagers were forced from
theirland. A rural exodus began to the capital
(Watoolandia),which receives more and more people, but jobs
have notfollowed. Farmers are increasingly unemployed
leading to urban poverty. With the global food crisis, the global markethas become too expensive and the country suffersfrom riots in the city and very difficult situations ofhunger in the countryside.
Group Discussions
Group 1-Gigagreenoil Company
You represent a group of investors in renewableenergy headquartered in Prussia. One of themost economical renewable energy sources is
ethanol madefrom sugarcane. You need to fill your orders, but the quantity ofsugar cane required is much higher, and prices
onworld markets are very volatile so you try toproduce the sugar cane yourself. Your goal is to meet the growing demand for
biofuel by controlling the production and
supply of aportion of your needs, and remain the mostcompetitive in the market without
depending onfluctuations in the latter. You have USD 1 million available for this
project.
Group 2-Government of Prussia You represent the government of Prussia. Prussia is
party to the Convention on Climate Change, UniversalDeclaration on Human Rights, International Covenanton Socio-Economic and Cultural Rights and heavilyengaged in the FAO process of developing the Guidelineson Responsible Governance and Natural ResourcesTenure. You're a country with a very large population andexpanding economy. You can (and should) import muchfood. In addition, the needs of grain and protein crops, tofeed a meat-producing industry are constantly
increasing.With the global crisis of 2008, the price of staple foods
hasrisen sharply, which has weighed heavily on your budget.
Your objective is to ensure a flow of raw materials andthus control their production and supply. You have 2million available to assist in the project.
Group 3-Government of Watooland
You represent the government of Watooland. Watooland
is party to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights,
the African Charter on Human Rights, theInternational Covenant on Socio-Economic andCultural rights, the Convention on Biological Diversity
andparty to the process of developing the FAO VoluntaryGuidelines on Land. The Constitution of Watooland
vestsOwnership of communal land in the President of the
countrythough customary tenure rights are recognized.
You are aware of the difficulties of development in your
country. You have also inherited a huge foreign debt.You have very little money coming in terms of taxes. Your resources are international aid, but this impliesstructural adjustments and the establishment of acomplex system of government. You also, of courseconsider that the land belonged to the state (for nontitled land). Your objective is to reduce your debt
andensure modernization of agriculture.
Group 4-Small-scale farmers You are part of a larger community of hundreds ofvery remote villages in central Watooland. Onaverage, each family has 0.4 hectares of
unirrigatedland, which enables families to live mainly onagricultural production. The land is near a waterpoint, has the best surface and is capable of
producingcassava, bananas and rice ( on a small scale).
Besides afew chickens, you also have goats that graze onpastures of the village. From time to time, you sellsome of your production for a little cash to pay foryour children’s education. However, this income isenough to send 1-2 children to school until the age
of15 whilst others help on the farm. The land is yoursbecause you have inherited and this is confirmed bythe village council. You have a few simple tools to work the land, but no mechanization. Your objective is to improve your income and ifpossible to send your children to school and atleast one to university or abroad.
Group 5-Nomads/Pastoralists
You are part of a community of pastoralists whose
livelihood is based on cattle rearing. You rely ongrazing lands in the north of the country forgenerations. in the north of the country forgenerations.
You have, for some time, lost several grazing areas
because farmers have settled with their villages and set
them barriers.
But you still have a beautiful herd of about thirtyanimals, and in good years, you can sell enough
animalsso that the family lives well.
Your goal is to increase your flock and keep your
traditions and lifestyle.
WATOOLAND
Region semi-fertile (pastoralists)
Region semi-fertile (pastoralists)
Mines
Watoolandia-City
Region Fertile
River
Homesteads
Mountains
The Game is based on the original work (French version) by FIAN Switzerland on Land grabbing, October 2010 and has been considerably modified and translated by Angeline Munzara for EAA
Role Play on Land Grabbing
Principle
Introduction-15 minutes
Divide Participants into 5 groups.
Each group receives a card describing its identity and its objectives.
Choose a negotiator for the group
The groups have 10 minutes to discuss, agree on their strategy and negotiate
35 minutes of bilateral discussions
Plenary discussion-30 minutesLarge industrial scale production, mainly from maize, jatropha, and sugar cane in Africa, threaten rural communities, farm workers, food security and the environment ”
Order of presentations
i) In the first round, "Gigagreenoil” must negotiate with the government of Prussia whilst the government of Watooland discuss with "peasants/nomads."(10 minutes)
ii) In the second round, the government of Prussia must negotiate with the government of Watooland whilst Gigagreenoil negotiates with small scale farmers and pastoralists(10 minutes)
iii) In the third round the government of Watooland further negotiates with government of Prussia and Gigagreenoil to reach a
decision based on previous
discussions (15 minutes)
iv) Plenary Discussions-
feedback
from the group (20 minutes)
v) Wrap up (10 minutes)
Driving forces Behind Large Scale Land deals
i. Price volatility in global food market;
ii. Surging demand for bio-fuels by oil companies;
iii. Expectation of subsidies for carbon sequestration through plantation and the avoidance of deforestation.
Impacts of Large Scale Land Deals
i) destroys livelihoods and exacerbates tenure insecurity and evictions
ii) accelerates eco-system destruction
iii) accelerates the climate crisis
iv) diverts food producing resources and labor to cash crop production
Case Studies: 2010 Food and Nutrition Watch
Ethiopia - est. up to 528 000 ha sold or leased since 1996.
Mali - government granted Malibya 100 000 ha.
Sierra Leone - 20 000 ha leased in 2009 to Addax Bioenergy.
Kenya - government to provide for the exchange of USD2.5 billion loan, 40,000 hectares of land in the Tana River area.
Towards a Human Rights Based Approach
Large-scale land investments can negatively affect the right to food
Example: loss of agricultural land and grazing
States have obligations to protect, respect and fulfill this right.
De Schutter’s 11 Principles on Land Investment
1. Include community participation in investment negotiations;
2. Obtain prior informed consent of communities;
3. Enact and enforce legislation that safeguards rights of host communities;
4. Use investment revenues for the benefit of local populations;
5. Ensure employment creation;6. Use agro-ecological approaches
to agriculture;
De Schutter’s 11 Principles on Land Investment
7. Ensure investment agreements have clear obligations;
8. Ensure a minimum % of food crops produced are sold locally;
9. Conduct participatory impact assessments;
10.Comply with indigenous peoples’ rights; and
11.Provide protection for agricultural waged workers.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION