Viabilização do Investimento em África: Uma Resposta parlamentar à desapropriação de terras

The document details the outcomes of a July 2011 seminar on foreign investment in African arable land and water. It identifies the drivers of 'land grabbing'—including biofuel demand and food insecurity in Gulf and Asian states—and analyzes the negative impacts on rural populations, particularly women. The report highlights a systemic lack of transparency in investment contracts and the weakness of national land laws, which often allow governments to allocate land despite existing community use. It proposes a parliamentary roadmap focusing on legislative oversight, the requirement of free, prior, and informed consent, and the potential for a moratorium on large-scale land acquisitions until robust governance frameworks are established.

• Large-scale land acquisitions in Africa are often characterized as 'land grabbing' and frequently occur without social or environmental responsibility. The International Land Coalition estimates that 50 million hectares of the 80 million hectares globally allocated to investors are in Africa.
• Foreign investments in land and water frequently undermine the rights of local populations. Because many African governments act as custodians of land, they may allocate it to investors even when it is already in use by local communities. In Ethiopia, farmers and pastoralists have been displaced despite claims that land was desertified.
• There is a critical lack of transparency regarding investment deals, which are often negotiated in secret. Parliamentarians in countries like Tanzania have reported difficulty accessing contracts that they are expected to ratify.
• Women in Sub-Saharan Africa are disproportionately affected by land acquisitions due to weaker property rights and exclusion from decision-making. They rely heavily on public resources, such as forests and water, which are primary targets for investors.
• Investment contracts and international treaties often override national laws and can include 'stabilization clauses' that prevent governments from applying new environmental or labor laws to the investment.
• The report identifies Liberia as a model for transparency, as its parliament ratifies all land lease contracts between the state and foreign investors and publishes them on the internet.
• Participants recommended that large-scale agricultural exploitation should be a last resort, prioritizing small-scale farming. Many supported a moratorium on land grabbing until an adequate investment and land framework is implemented.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2011). Viabilização do Investimento em África: Uma Resposta parlamentar à desapropriação de terras. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/land_grabs_africa_pt.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Viabilização do Investimento em África: Uma Resposta parlamentar à desapropriação de terras. 2011. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/land_grabs_africa_pt.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Viabilização do Investimento em África: Uma Resposta parlamentar à desapropriação de terras |date=October 2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/land_grabs_africa_pt.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2011viabilizao, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Viabilização do Investimento em África: Uma Resposta parlamentar à desapropriação de terras}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/land_grabs_africa_pt.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }