News archive September 2013

(8) September 2013

Investors risk billions by overlooking potential land conflicts, study shows

Indigenous communities have claims to nearly one third of all land granted in commercial land concessions in 12 countries says new report - a situation that has led to numerous preventable conflicts. (Mongabay)

Making local people stewards of the earth

The lack of land rights is a crisis not just for local people but for all of humanity, warned organisers at an international conference in Interlaken (Leahy / IPS)

Investors should work with farmers, not grab their land

Industrialised countries should do more to persuade companies that investing in, and working with, farmers makes more business sense than buying their land (The Guardian)

Indigenous rights affect a third of land in emerging-economy deals - study

At least one out of every three hectares of land licensed for commercial exploitation in emerging economies overlaps with land to which indigenous communities have a claim, according to ercent RRI study. (Rowling / Thomson Reuters Foundation)

When bad development happens to good people

The development of industrial-scale agriculture may be helping Cambodia to increase its exports and improve its economy, but the local villagers say it provides little benefit to them. (Lei Win / Thomson Reuters Foundation)

Honduras grants land to indigenous group, in bid to help it protect forests

The Honduran government has granted more than 7 percent of its territory to the indigenous Miskito communities who live on the land, an initiative intended to help them protect their forests. (New York Times)

Palm cultivators sentenced for causing forced displacement in Curvaradó

Due to the tireless work of the Inter-Church Commision for Justice and Peace and the courage of the communities that they represent, some of the palm cultivators who directly benefited from the human rights violations in the Chocó area, are now being brought to justice (ABColombia)

Starvation and poverty in Indonesia

Civil society organisations appeal for suspension of MIFEE project in Papua pending redress for local communities (FPP)