Africa Conference on Land Grabs 2014

27 - 30 October 2014. Midrand, South Africa.  The conference explored the phenomenon of land grab. Speakers, panelists and papers looked at country case studies, challenges, advantages and disadvantages of the sale and lease of large swathes of arable land to powerful foreign individuals, multinationals and governments. What would be the implications of these actions fifty years down the line? Various scenarios were explored and considered.

The theme for this conference was “Governance, Beneficiation and Sustainability: Beyond Rhetoric”. This conference brought together stakeholders to share their understanding and interests in what is now generally known as ‘land grabs’. Key to the outcomes of this conference were the themes of human rights, governance, beneficiation, sustainability and community voices.

The First Africa Conference on Land Grabs, reported that more land has been grabbed in Africa in the 21st century than in the rest of the world combined–a startling 55 million hectares of land between 2000 and 2012.

Land grabs are defined as large-scale land acquisitions which displaced vulnerable communities and disregarded human rights and social and environmental impacts.