Rising Global Interest in Farmland : Can it Yield Sustainable and Equitable Benefits?

Interest in farmland is rising. And, given commodity price volatility, growing human and environmental pressures, and worries about food security, this interest will increase, especially in the developing world. One of the highest development priorities in the world must be to improve smallholder agricultural productivity, especially in Africa. Smallholder productivity is essential for reducing poverty and hunger, and more and better investment in agricultural technology, infrastructure, and market access for poor farmers is urgently needed. When done right, larger-scale farming systems can also have a place as one of many tools to promote sustainable agricultural and rural development, and can directly support smallholder productivity, for example, throughout grower programs. However, recent press and other reports about actual or proposed large farmland acquisition by big investors have raised serious concerns about the danger of neglecting local rights and other problems. They have also raised questions about the extent to which such transactions can provide long-term benefits to local populations and contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development. Although these reports are worrying, the lack of reliable information has made it difficult to understand what has been actually happening. Against this backdrop, the World Bank, under the leadership of Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, along with other development partners, has highlighted the need for good empirical evidence to inform decision makers, especially in developing countries.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Deininger, Klaus, Byerlee, Derek, Lindsay, Jonathan, Norton, Andrew, Selod, Harris, Stickler, Mercedes
Format:	Publication biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank 2011
Subjects:	ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, ACID SOILS, ACTUAL YIELDS, AGRIBUSINESS, AGRICULTURAL AREA, AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURAL GROWTH, AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION, AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT, AGRICULTURAL LAND, AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, AGRICULTURAL SECTORS, AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURAL TRADE, AGRICULTURAL USE, AGRICULTURE, AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION, ALLOCATION OF LAND, AQUACULTURE, ARID LANDS, BIODIVERSITY, BULK COMMODITIES, CAPACITY BUILDING, CAPITAL MARKETS, CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY RESEARCH, CGIAR, CIFOR, CLIENT COUNTRIES, CLIMATE CHANGE, COFFEE, COMMODITY PRICE, COMMODITY PRICES, COMMON PROPERTY, COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE, CONSERVATION TILLAGE, CONSOLIDATION, CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, COTTON, CROP, CROP LAND, CROP PRODUCTION, CROP YIELDS, CROPPING, CROPS, CULTIVATED AREAS, CULTIVATED LAND, CULTIVATION, DEFORESTATION, DEGRADED LANDS, DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC IMPACT, ECONOMICS, EFFECTIVE USE, EMISSIONS, EMPIRICAL BASIS, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, EMPIRICAL RESEARCH, ENVIRONMENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, EQUILIBRIUM, EXPLOITATION, EXTERNALITIES, FAO, FARM SIZE, FARMERS, FARMING, FARMING SYSTEMS, FARMLAND, FARMS, FEED, FISHERIES, FOOD INSECURITY, FOOD PRICES, FOOD PRODUCTS, FOOD SECURITY, FOOD SUPPLIES, FOREST LAND, FORESTRY, FORESTS, GENDER, GLOBAL INTEREST, GRAIN, GREENHOUSE GAS, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, HUNGER, IFAD, IMPACT ASSESSMENT, INCOMES, INFLATION, INTEGRATION, INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, INVENTORY, LABOR COSTS, LAND ACQUISITION, LAND CONSOLIDATION, LAND MARKETS, LAND REDISTRIBUTION, LAND REFORM, LAND REFORMS, LAND RENT, LAND RESOURCES, LAND RIGHTS, LAND SUPPLY, LAND TAXES, LAND TENURE, LAND TRANSFERS, LAND USE, LAND USE CHANGE, LAND USE PLANNING, LAND USE RESTRICTIONS, LAND VALUES, LARGE FARMS, LEGISLATION, LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, LIVELIHOODS, LIVESTOCK, LIVESTOCK RANCHING, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY, LUXEMBOURG, MAIZE, MANDATES, MARKETING, MIGRATION, MULTIPLIERS, MUSA, NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, OIL, OILSEED, PALM OIL, PASTORALISTS, PASTURES, PATENTS, POLICY MAKERS, POLITICAL ECONOMY, POPULATION GROWTH, POTENTIAL INVESTORS, POTENTIAL YIELDS, POVERTY ALLEVIATION, POVERTY REDUCTION, PRESENT VALUE, PRICE CHANGES, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRODUCERS, PRODUCTION COSTS, PRODUCTIVITY, PROPERTY RIGHTS, PUBLIC GOODS, PUBLIC LAND, PUBLIC LANDS, PUBLIC SERVICES, R&D, REDUCING EMISSIONS, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, RESEARCH SYSTEMS, RESISTANT VARIETIES, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, RICE, RICE CULTIVATION, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES, RURAL POPULATION, RURAL POVERTY, SOILS, SORGHUM, SOYBEAN YIELDS, SOYBEANS, SUBSIDIARY, SUGARCANE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT, SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE USE, TAX REVENUE, TAXATION, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP, TRANSFERS OF ASSETS, TRANSPORT, TREES, UNCTAD, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNEP, UNITED NATIONS, UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, URBANIZATION, VEGETABLE OILS, WAGES, WHEAT, WOOD, ZONING,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000334955_20110208033706 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2263
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