Regions 
Africa 
America 
Asia & Australia 
Europe TIAA’s Accumulation of Farmland Is Not Responsible
TIAA’s “Responsible Investment in Farmland” report series highlights the fact that in 2011 TIAA was one of a group of businesses that developed the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) Farmland Guidelines, which are supposed to guide institutional investors who wish to invest in farmland in a responsible manner. These guidelines were originally called the “UN Principles for Responsible Investment in Farmland.” However, the misleading original name hides the fact that while the businesses came together under UN auspices, the private sector signa- tories developed these principles primarily to further their investment interests, and they are not explicitly tied to human rights and other international law.
... read more Land for Communities: Fulfilling Human Rights and Protecting the Planet
Half the land in the world today, including forests, grasslands, and small farms, belongs to and is managed by local communities and indigenous peoples. Two and a half billion people depend on this land for their livelihoods. Yet it is estimated that these communities have recognized rights over only one fifth of their land. National governments are obligated by international human rights law to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples and to protect the right to food and other rights of rural communities. In addition to fulfilling human rights, there are many additional benefits of protecting community land rights: reduction of conflict, reduction of involuntary migration pressures, and protection of the ecosystems that cool our warming planet. Unfortunately, much community-held land is at risk of being grabbed by business interests, with the complicity of governments.
... read more ActionAid USA Toolkit for Supporter Fundraising
ActionAid’s impact lies in its mission to support local action and community leaders. We believe that power comes from the people. Following this belief, we aim to provide the tools necessary so that all people (including you!) can achieve the changes they want to see in their communities and in the world. By organizing and… read more
Burned – Deception, Deforestation and America’s Biodiesel Policy
A trip down a dusty dirt road in northern Argentina provides a picture of the reality of the modern biodiesel industry. On the left-hand side lies a pristine forest, teeming with wildlife: howler monkeys, tapirs, and jaguars. On the right, new soy fields are being carved into pristine forest. Burnt trees and the white ash they leave behind stretch for as far as the eye can see.
... read more Land Rights, Palm Oil and Conflict in Guatemala
Indigenous peoples and small-scale farmers in Guatemala, especially women, are facing an ongoing threat to their existence due to loss of their land to agribusiness plantations. Indigenous communities in the municipality of Raxruhá in Alta Verapaz are confronting land grabbing by palm oil companies. The State of Guatemala must recognize community land rights, and governments… read more
Soybean Plantations: A Threat to Communities in the Cerrado Amazon Transition Zone
Soybean plantations are overtaking much of Brazil’s Cerrado region as large-scale agriculture expands across the globe, driving out indigenous peoples and local communities and driving up land prices. The prospect of soy expansion in the Cerrado has attracted not only Brazilian land grabbers but also international investors.
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