Key drivers and effects of land
grabbing in Serbia
Aliance for Land, Food and Natural Resources
Sovereignty
PALIĆ, 25th September, 2013
Prepared by: Maja Gavrilovic with Aleksandra
Knez-Milojkovic
Why is land grabbing a
public policy issue?
What do we mean by land
grabbing? (1)
Land grabbing refers to an acquisition
and control of vast areas of land and
other natural resources (ie.
agricultural land, water, minerals,
forests etc.) for the purposes of
exploitation and profit-making, for
transnational and/or local needs
(Borras et. al, 2012).
What do we mean by land
grabbing? (2)
• Land grabbing is best understood from the
perspective of political economy, whereas
concentrated control of land, enables the
land-owners to make decisions about how our
critically important resources ought to be used
now and in the future.
How land grabbing happens?
• The sale of land is typically organized via a nontransparent and secretive process, with a minimum
consultation with local community and traditional
owners/users of land
• Land is typically sold without adequate socio-economic
and environmental cost-benefit analysis
• Sale agreements rarely contain any detailed
information about investment activities, employment
agreements, and general benefits for the citizens (The
International Land Coalition, 2011)
What is the scale of land grabbing?
• An estimated 227 million hectares have been
sold and/or leased to transnational
corporations and governments by 2011
(Oxfam, 2012)
• In Europe land ownership is gradually
becoming markedly unequal: in 2011, for
example, 3% of large farms (100 ha+) govern
over 50% of agricultural land (Transnational
Institute, 2013)
What drives land grabbing?
• This is not a new phenomenon, but since the
2007-2008 3F Crisis, it has considerably
intensified
• There are a number of drivers that shape an
increasing interest in agricultural (land)
investments across developing countries
Drivers:
• Financial investments
• Economic
developments
• Energy security
• Food security
Land grabbing in Serbia
• Land grabbing has been an ongoing problem
in Serbia for a decade, however, the issue is
still not on the policy agenda and it is ignored
by policymakers
• Land grabbing kicked-off with the first wave of
privatizations of socially-owned land and
agricultural enterprises, but since 2009 it has
particularly intensified with further
liberalization agenda supported by the World
Bank and the EU accession process
Land grabbing in Serbia
• According to national experts, currently
500,000 hectares of state and cooperativeowned land has illegally been sold to
transnational corporations and local taycoons
Land grabbing in Serbia
• Despite legal and constitutional restrictions, vast
tracts of agricultural land have been sold to
international companies (eg. Al Dahra
corporation from the United Arab Emirates has
recently bought 14,000 ha)
• Serbia also faces a problem of land concentration
and rapidly increasing inequality in land
ownership (eg. four taycoons in Serbia own more
than 100,000 hectares)
Effects
Ecological insecurity
• Industrial model of agriculture based on
resource extraction and exploitation (eg.
monoculture, deforestation etc.) and use of
chemicals (eg. pesticids) has a very negative
effect on the environment (destroying the
biodiversity, water safety, soil erosion etc.)
Economic impacts
• Industrial/corporate model of agriculture is likely
to have a crowding out effect on small-holder
agriculture
• Broader implications for local community include
unemployment, social problems, labour
migration etc.)
• For example, in Serbia over 65,000 people have
lost their jobs as a result of ilegal privatization
deals since 2000
Food insecurity
• Transnational capital’s control over our food
system affects people’s access to affordable
and good quality food (ie. non-GMO food)
• In Serbia, 12% of citizens live below food
poverty line (daily diet of 10,000 children
depend on soup kitchens)
New wave of land grabbing in
Serbia
• There are important indications that land grab,
particularly by transnational corporations is likely
to intensify in the next 10 years
• According to the Agreement for Stabilization and
Accession (SSP) which Serbia has signed with the
EU, the country will be obliged to allow EU
citizens to buy land and other type of real estate
• Unlike neighboring countries (eg. Croatia,
Hungary) Serbia so far has not engaged in
negotiations with EU seeking to postpone this
aspect of the agreement
Why land grabbing must be stopped?
• Considering the role that land plays for people’s food
security and livelihoods, as well as broader poverty
reduction, land grab must be urgently stopped
• According to the FAO experts food price hikes are very
likely to continue, with some estimates predicting food
price increases by 40% over the next 10 years
• Consequently, the phenomenon of land grabbing in
Serbia must be placed as a top priority policy issue
Aliance for Common Good
Aliance for Land, Food and
Natural Resources Sovereignty
Our campaign
Aliance for Common Good
The Aliance was
initiated by ordinary
citizens and various
non-government
organizations
spanning ecological,
agricultural, social
protection
organizations and
independent experts
• The Aliance has been
launched on 14th
August, 2013
Declaration for Common Good
1.
2.
3.
3 key goals:
The suspension of the
controversial article 63.2 of
the SSP
The annulment of all ilegal
privatisations of land and
agricultural enterprises
Formulation of the new
national agricultural and
rural development strategy
based on the principles of
solidarity economy,
agroecology, and sustinable
development
Key activities
• Undertook surveys with
citizens and parlamentarians
• Launched a petition – so far
4,000 people have signed
• Organizing a public hearing in
the Serbian Parliament for midNovember, 2013
• A series of round-table and
forum events
• Social event to mark the
International Day Aagainst
Hunger (16 october)
• Currently formulating a policy
and programming on solidarity
economy and agriculture
Join us!
ALIANCE FOR COMMON GOOD, SERBIA
otimacina.zemlje.stop@gmail.com
Alijansa za Zajednicko Dobro