Over the past few years the demand for land has been boosted by global economic trends - among which energy and food needs are playing major roles – that significantly increased its commercial value. Profit opportunities, as well as food security concerns, are attracting the interest of different stakeholders, both private and public, in obtaining land rights over large tracts of land worldwide. Such phenomenon, which is involving a wide range of actors, is dramatically increasing competition for land and natural resources, thus putting at risk the livelihoods of those with weaker tenure rights and economic power.
As part of their commitment in addressing the issue, the Universities of Utrecht and Groningen, Oxfam-Novib, the Sustainable Economic Development Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Land Coalition, co-organized an international expert seminar on ’Commercial Pressures on Land: Rethinking Policy and Practice for Development’ as part of the Development Policy Review Network.
As a way to address the phenomenon from all relevant perspectives, facilitate the communication, exchange and debate on analysis of land rights problems, approaches and policies and to explore possible ways forward, the initiative brought together government officials, academics, private sector, Northern and Southern civil society organisations, intergovernmental organisations such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development, as well as the World Bank in order to identify approaches that can maximise benefits to the poor, whilst also remaining attractive to investors.
This document contains a summary of this DPRN Expert seminar held in Utrecht on 8 July 2009.

By: ILC and Oxfam Novib

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