Land Grabbing, Investors, and Indigenous Peoples: New Legal Strategies for an Old Practice?

Abstract

This article examines how new legal strategies need to be adopted by indigenous peoples to react to the increasing phenomenon of ‘land grabbing’ taking place across the globe. In examining the specificity of the ‘land grab’ and how it particularly affects indigenous peoples, it analyses how new legal strategies targeting the investors need to be adopted by communities to mitigate some of the negative aspects of land grabbing. It argues that since the current ‘land grab’ is driven by investors it is important that indigenous peoples, and their supportive organizations, target investors and lending institutions, which are behind the massive investments in land acquisitions.

Keywords: land grabbing, indigenous peoples, investments

JEL Classification: K33