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In This Issue
Editor's Note
The Land Grab and Other Agriculture Trends
According to a recent estimate, there have been more than 400 international land deals in the last six years–spurred by the rising demand for arable property for food, biofuels, and raw materials–and these deals have taken place in 66 countries, with funds from nearly 60 different locations.
In conjunction with the rapid growth of complex land deals, there are rising concerns about the social and environmental impacts of major land investments. This week, BSR’s Environmental Manager Laura Ediger outlines the risks and provides four recommendations on managing large-scale agriculture deals so these investments bear fruit for workers, communities, and shareholders.
Ediger’s recommendations emphasize the importance of engaging local communities and respecting their rights. We also highlight this subject in a discussion about the International Finance Corporation’s new, more rigorous guidelines for free, prior, and informed consent.
Lastly, we look at a new UN report on future trends that will affect the long-term sustainability of the food and agriculture sector.
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In Depth
Rethinking the ‘Land Grab’
By Laura Ediger, Associate Director, Advisory Services, BSR
The international hunt for arable land raises concerns about its potential impacts on local people and the environment. How can we manage large-scale agriculture to mitigate harm and provide local benefits?
Read more →
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Spotlight
Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: New IFC Standards Raise the Bar on Stakeholder Engagement
Jasmine Campbell, EMEA Manager, BSR Advisory Services
Following a 2008 UN declaration regarding free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of indigenous peoples before states or companies operate in their areas, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) introduced new consultation standards and an accompanying guidance note in 2012 that increase requirements for community consultation for private-sector, IFC-funded projects. The mere recognition of FPIC by the IFC raises the bar on stakeholder engagement. The IFC’s requirements make project assessment and consultation processes, including mitigation and compensation measures, more stringent and inclusive of indigenous peoples. As a result, the extractives industry has had to adopt a more rigorous approach to consulting and engaging with local communities, particularly where there are national laws requiring full community consent before granting permits for new projects, such as in the Philippines. BSR will host a full-day workshop on FPIC, led by our energy and extractives experts and other private sector and NGO stakeholders, at the British Museum in London on June 19, 2012. For more information, please visit the event page.
Toolbox
Finding Consensus on a Sustainable Food and Agriculture System
By Julia Robinson, Communications Associate, BSR
Today, food production faces resource limitations, such as water and land, combined with a need for increased production, as our population expands and diets become more resource-intensive. Food waste--at an estimated loss of 30 to 40 percent along the entire value chain--and the paradox of a world in which equal numbers of people are malnourished and overweight are only exacerbating these issues. A new UN study calls for a paradigm shift and lays out various paths for action, highlighting the key role companies can play. Among the critical paths are:
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Approaches to production that focus on access to nutrition, rather than simply more food
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Solutions that balance the need for high yields with a healthy ecology
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Innovations and technologies that are suitable for various geographical contexts
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Investments in small and medium farmers
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Incentives for business to invest in systems that benefit the public
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The reduction of waste along the entire value chain
For more on this topic, see BSR's Waste Not, Want Not research brief.
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