15 Nov 2013 Seminar: In the Wake of ‘Land Grabs’: Do we Need New Global Rules for Land Governance?

Large-scale land acquisitions in Africa have grabbed the attention of the world’s media in the past few years. Foreign investors, from private companies to sovereign wealth funds, have been leasing Africa’s land, a trend driven by higher world food prices and concerns about longer term food, energy and water security. Some argue that this investment is welcome and will support Africa’s growth while others argue that there are major negative consequences as local farmers lose their land.

This seminar asks: how should governments balance the competing needs for food and fuel? How should investment in land be regulated? Do we need new global rules or a code of conduct for land acquisitions by foreign investors?

Panelists:
- Akachi Odoemene, Oxford-Princeton Global Leaders Fellow and Senior Lecturer in the Department of History and International Relations, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
- Robin Palmer, Global Land Rights Policy Specialist, Mokoro
- Lorenzo Cotula, Senior Researcher, International Institute for Environment & Development, author of ‘The Great African Land Grab’