Land, Water and Territories

Colombia: New agrarian courts raise hopes for end to land conflicts

The first five agrarian courts will open in May in the cities of Cartagena, Quibdó, Popayán, Pasto and Tunja, with 65 more to come. Peasant farmers, or campesinos, have long struggled for recognition by the state. Another effort by President Petro to resolve the unequal land divide is a promise to redistribute more than 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land.

8th Farmers Forum – Key Demands: Enhance the autonomy of small-scale food producers

A crucial message was delivered to IFAD’s Governing Council at the 8th IFAD Farmers’ Forum calling for collaboration with farmers’ organizations globally, aligning with human rights and international frameworks. The organizations call on governments to increase funding for IFAD’s essential policies and programs for small-scale producers.

Chile wildfires: ANAMURI calls for solidarity and an end to monoculture forestry

It is imperative to put an end to the destruction and horror caused by an unjust and unsustainable model of monoculture forestry and unscrupulous real estate practices. This model has led to over 500 thousand hectares burning uncontrollably, resulting in the destruction of entire villages, homes, crops, animals, native vegetation, vehicles, and tools.

Publication: A new wave of land grabs strikes Tanzania

Tanzania is pursuing another round of foreign agribusiness investment. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of lands are being turned into block farms to produce export crops, whose increasing demand is setting the stage for another wave of land grabs. With China looking to Tanzania as a new supply source for soybeans, the stage could be set for another wave of land grabs.

Open letter on the MST’s commitment to the struggle and to the Brazilian people

Landless Rural Workers Movement launched a commitment letter to the struggle and the Brazilian people on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. Forty years after women and men, rural workers challenged the large estates and created the MST, its National Coordination gathered in Guararema to reflect on the struggles and made commitments to continue the fight to democratize land access and guarantee the rights of people and communities.

South African peasant activists unveil land inequality struggles on global stage in Colombia

Two South African activists recently attended a conference in Bogotá where they pledged to broaden the participation of individuals, especially women, in the fight for food sovereignty. They denounced the land inequality and the outsized influence of South Africa’s commercial sector on food product pricing, thrusting these critical issues onto the global stage.

Historical Challenges for Peasant Movements around the World

Joao Pedro Stedile provides an analysis of the historical contribution of the peasant movement in the last 30 years and it’s significance for the working class, peasantry and humanity. He also provides the future challenges facing the movement and the need to confront fascism and conservative media outlets.

Land grabs in Sri Lanka and the struggles in Udugama and Bibele

Land grabbing across Sri Lanka has exploded — villagers are evicted from their homes and land, as farms and forests are taken for tea, rubber, palm oil and banana plantations, and the development of tourist infrastructure such as all-inclusive hotels for mass tourism, all of which comes with huge environmental impacts.