The land market in Latin America and the Caribbean: concentration and foreignization The land market in Latin America and the Caribbean: concentration and foreignization Sergio Gómez Editor This book has been adapted and translated from the publications: Soto Baquero, F. Gómez, S. 2012. Dinámicas del mercado de la tierra en América Latina y el Caribe: concentración y extranjerización. Santiago, FAO. (available at http://www.fao.org/3/a-i2547s.pdf) and Soto Baquero, F. Gómez, S. 2014. Reflexiones sobre la concentración y extranjerizaciones de la tierra en América Latina y el Caribe. Santiago, FAO. 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Photomontage: Omar Espinoza Photography credit: © FAO / Luca TOMMASIN, Mont-Organisé - Haiti Background photo (tractors): © P.Whitaker / Reuters / Corbis TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface .............................................................................................................................................v Chapter I: Land grabbing in Latin America and the Caribbean: an overview .......................1 Background ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 I. Synthesis of the country case studies ........................................................................................... 2 II. Typology ................................................................................................................................................... 7 III. Analysis of some relevant topics .....................................................................................................8 IV. Final note ................................................................................................................................................ 16 Annex .................................................................................................................................................................17 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................................18 Chapter II: Land grabbing in Latin America and the Caribbean, viewed from a broader international perspective ............................................................................................................ 21 I. Introduction and key messages ......................................................................................................21 II. Scope, assumptions and context.................................................................................................. 26 III. Condition and trends in land grabbing in Latin America and the Caribbean ............. 29 IV. Key drivers and actors of the regional land rush ................................................................... 34 V. Dynamics of land use change ........................................................................................................40 VI. Dynamics of land changes in property and labour relations ............................................. 42 VII. Trajectories of agrarian-environmental change ...................................................................... 46 VIII. Land grabbing debates between state and society ..............................................................47 IX. Policy and political implications and challenges for future research ............................. 49 X. Conclusion: towards a ‘land sovereignty’ agenda ....................................................................51 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................................53 Chapter III: Dynamics of land markets in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic: the context and comparison ...................................... 59 Presentation .................................................................................................................................................. 59 I. Structural context of the cases under consideration ........................................................... 59 II. Cases studied ....................................................................................................................................... 64 III. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 83 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................. 86 Chapter IV: Reflections, based on the Andean case studies 87 ................................................ concentration and foreignization concentration Presentation ...................................................................................................................................................87 I. Does land grabbing exist in the analysed countries? ............................................................87 II. Land grabbing or the modernization of agriculture in a capitalist system .................. 89 III. Factors facilitating concentration of ownership ..................................................................... 93 IV. The debate on land, rural development and land grabbing .............................................. 99 V. Concluding considerations ............................................................................................................105 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................106 The land market in Latin America and the Caribbean: in Latin land market The iii Chapter V: Land market dynamics in the Mercosur countries and Chile: a critical analytical overview ....................................................................................................108 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................108 I. Introduction .........................................................................................................................................108 II. Overview of developments ............................................................................................................109 III. Overview of the theory of economies of scale in agriculture ........................................... 112 IV. Some questions and answers using information from the case studies ....................... 113 V. Some facts and additional comments that arise from the case studies ......................120 VI. Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................... 122 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................. 123 Annex ..............................................................................................................................................................124 Chapter VI Final Reflexions ..................................................................................................... 126 I. State of the discussion ....................................................................................................................126 II. Voluntary guidelines ......................................................................................................................... 127 III. Topics for future agendas .............................................................................................................. 128 concentration and foreignization concentration The land market in Latin America and the Caribbean: in Latin land market The iv Preface The issue