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

amunzara@e-allaince.ch

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