LAND RIGHTS
The last twenty years have seen the rapid acquisition of large plots of land in the global south by national and international elites, often referred to as land grabbing. Land grabbing can be defined as the control of land – whether through ownership, lease, concession, contracts, quotas, or general power – for purposes of speculation, extraction, resource control or commodification. (Ecoruralis 2016)
Land grabbing is a violation of human rights by threatening access to food and livelihoods. The new land proprietors often favor profitable export of their crops or minerals over feeding the hungry. Peasant farmers lose access to their land and thus their income and nutrition. The environmental health of the land is compromised as industrial forms of agriculture are implemented.
CIDSE is supporting the resistance of land grabbing in Africa, by connecting church actors with social movements and organising spaces for exchange. In 2015, CIDSE contributed to the organisation of a Pan-African Conference on Land Grabbing and Just Governance in Kenya, which brought together church and non-church actors to exchange knowledge and strategies on land grabbing, resulting in the establishment of a permanent platform called “Our land is our life” for these purposes. A similar conference was organised again in 2017 in Abidjan. The reflection and discussion on land grabbing from the perspective of Laudato Si’ and Catholic Church social teachings that began at the conference in Abidjan was then concretized in a paper on the theology of land grabbing to facilitate the opening of a concrete dialogue on land issues with church actors.

Manny Yap
yap(at)cidse.org
Stories
Publications
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SIAT, Belgian rubber and palm oil company under scrutiny
June 14, 2023“Is there an end in sight to labor abuses for this certified “sustainable” palm oil producer?” One year ago, in …
SIAT, Belgian rubber and palm oil company under scrutiny Read More »
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Press Release: Maasai Delegation ends European advocacy tour
June 2, 2023Maasai Delegation meets with European Governments and Politicians on Eviction Crisis (EUROPE) A Maasai delegation concluded a two-week tour in …
Press Release: Maasai Delegation ends European advocacy tour Read More »
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Building our future together: CIDSE meets African partners ahead of
March 29, 2023Last February, CIDSE staff, Nicky Broeckhoven and Vincent Dauby, travelled to Uganda to meet with several partner/ally organisations. During their …
Building our future together: CIDSE meets African partners ahead of COP28 Read More »
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Lent 2023: Create hope
February 22, 2023Wednesday 22nd February marks the beginning of Lent, a special time for prayer and reflection. Most CIDSE members organise campaigns …
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L’agroindustrie met le feu au brésil
February 16, 2023Quand l’agroécologie devient une arme de résistance ENGLISH This study by Entraide et Fraternité (available in French only) is the …