La fiebre del oro continúa en Nicaragua: Analizando el período 2022-2024
12 diciembre, 2024
Boletín – Diciembre 2024 LAFP-LM
16 diciembre, 2024
December 2024
Focal Point
Cnel. Miguel Di Pascuo 2936, Bo. Grand Bourg (4400) – Salta, Argentina
www.fundapaz.org.ar
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The Latin America Focal Point Present at the Annual Meeting of the Land Matrix Initiative
Senegal, October 28 – November 1, 2024. The Latin America Focal Point participated in the Annual Meeting Steering Committee of the Land Matrix Initiative (LMI), a key event that brought together all the members to discuss the initiative’s objectives and the plan for 2025. During this meeting, the year’s progress, achievements, and challenges were assessed.
A notable point of the meeting was the opportunity to strengthen ties among LMI members, providing participants with the chance to network and foster collaboration and idea exchange. This space also allowed for knowledge sharing, where experiences and best practices were discussed, with potential for replication in other contexts. Additionally, the meeting helped align efforts toward common goals, ensuring that all participants were on the same page.
A key part of the event was the visit to Deal #10848, involving the investor Barfoots Senegal, where attendees toured maize, chili, bean, sweet potato, and other export-oriented crops, mainly supplying the UK during winter. During this visit, the company’s head shared his perspective on production in Senegal and its relationship with local communities, enriching the understanding of the region’s social and economic dynamics.
In summary, the Annual Meeting of the Land Matrix Initiative was not only a space for strategic discussion but also an invaluable opportunity to strengthen relationships and gain a better understanding of the context in which the initiative operates.
Progress in Research and Advocacy Processes
Continuing the process of regularizing land tenure for small-scale producers of Salta Forestal S.A., linked to the investigations conducted in deals #4130 and #1060 from the Land Matrix database, progress has been made in developing a technical and participatory proposal.
First, a meeting was held with the new chairman of the board of the state-owned company Salta Forestal S.A., José Ignacio Lupión. During the meeting, the new chairman expressed the board’s and the government’s commitment to advancing the technical work and the participatory process needed for land tenure regularization.
Additionally, a formal request was submitted to the Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Province of Salta, Alejandro Aldazabal, seeking funds from the Forest Law (Number 26.331) to continue technical and participatory work with producers. The aim is to move forward with the delimitation of land plots based on social, environmental, and productive criteria.
The progress made, along with the agreements reached with the National Institute of Agricultural Technology presented in the previous Newsletter, are important steps toward mitigating the impacts of large-scale land acquisition (LSLA) and promoting sustainable and inclusive development in the region.
Hidden Water Trade Associated with Large-Scale Land Acquisitions in the Chaco Region of Salta Province
Our recent report highlights the hidden water trade linked to LSLA in the Chaco region of Salta Province. This study reveals how acquiring land-use rights is inherently tied to water resource appropriation, particularly in agricultural areas, since agriculture is the world’s most water-intensive activity.
Between 2000 and 2022, 120 LSLAs were identified in the Chaco region, covering more than 1.6 million hectares. During the 2018-2019 agricultural season, crops were identified on 45% of these lands, representing 32.2% of the area with land-use changes. Predominant crops include soybeans, maize, beans, and cotton, with soybeans being the largest water consumer, averaging a water footprint of 704 hm³/year.
The report also estimates that 297 hm³ of virtual water were exported in 2019, mainly associated with maize and soybeans, with destinations including China, Vietnam, Algeria, Korea, and Brazil. Notably, 99.2% of these virtual water flows came from green water (rainfall), raising concerns about food security and water governance in the region.
This analysis highlights the Chaco Region of Salta Province agricultural model’s high dependence on green water, posing significant risks to local food security and water management. The report calls for reflection on the importance of addressing these issues to ensure sustainability and equity in the region’s natural resource management.
Read the full report at:
Hidden Water Trade Report
Land Matrix LAC in the Media
On November 28, the Argentine newspaper Página 12 published an article titled «Almost 300 Million Cubic Meters of Water Leave with Exports.» The piece, written by Laura Urbano, references the report prepared by Griselda Salas Barboza, titled «Hidden Water Trade Associated with Large-Scale Land Acquisition (LSLAs) in the Chaco Region of Salta.»
The report analyzes how, in regions affected by LSLAs, acquiring land-use rights implicitly entails the appropriation of the associated water resources.
https://www.pagina12.com.ar/783723-casi-300-millones-de-metros-cubicos-de-agua-salen-con-las-ex
Carbon Offsetting in Large-Scale Land Acquisitions
This report, prepared by members of the Focal Point, focuses on analyzing concluded LSLAs worldwide that involve carbon offsetting. The results show that these transactions are mainly located in the Republic of the Congo, Brazil, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The primary objectives, such as carbon sequestration, logging, and conservation align with proposed activities for financing carbon bonds.
Regarding investor countries, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Switzerland, the United States, and Singapore stand out. Private companies account for the largest share of LSLA areas, followed by investors with unspecified information.
Concerning local communities, LSLAs reveal a certain degree of conflict, though the lack of information suggests the need to improve data collection through case studies.
The full report is available at the following link:
Participation in the 5th Scientific Meeting of the Global Land Programme
From November 8 to 14, Cristian Venencia, a member of the Latin America Focal Point, participated in the Global Land Programme (GLP) scientific meeting in Oaxaca, Mexico. The GLP is a global interdisciplinary network of science and practice working to advance the understanding of land systems and the next generation of science-based solutions for local and global challenges.
During the meeting, Cristian presented his work titled “Complex Relationships between Large-Scale Land Acquisition, Deforestation, and Land-Use Zoning Policies in Agricultural Frontiers”, contributing valuable insights to the discussions.
Land Investments and Land Grabbing
On November 19th, the undergraduate thesis defense of Engineer Camila Suarez took place. Her thesis, titled «Land Investments and Land Grabbing in the Department of Anta, Salta, Argentina» aims to identify and characterize land investments between 2000 and 2021. It also seeks to analyze their relationship with processes of inequality, land concentration, and potential land-grabbing situations. Additionally, the study includes an analysis of LSLA and their connection to the previously mentioned processes, using the criteria defined by the Land Matrix initiative.
Contribute to the database on land transactions!
This is an invitation to organizations working on land issues, academic institutions, researchers, grassroots organizations, government offices, and committed individuals, who are interested in sharing any kind of information on large land acquisitions in Latin America.
If you want to contribute with this initiative, you can file a report on a large-scale land acquisition by filling in a form available here.
Documents and reports produced by the Latin America Focal Point, including an update of large-scale land acquisitions in the region, available here.
