CORPORATIONS BUYING EARTH, KILLING THE PLANET
Two hundred twenty seven million hectares of land in developing countries — an area the size of Western Europe–has been sold or leased to multinational investors since 2001. The bulk of these land acquisitions have taken place over the past two years.
Think about this. The Philippines is not exempted. Think about SM.
If these trend continues, the entire planet would be sold to international investors within the next two decades. No one can foresee the implications of this but they wil be far-reaching.
In African and sub continental India, large tracts of land are being bought. In many instances, local governments or governments are the ones selling the land (Does it remind you of the SM deal?) And in Asia, traditional homelands are being sold to companies who now are in power in food, biofuel, real estate and rest and recreation facilities.
Whatever the shape of the transactions they all show one major development:land has become currency in the hands of politicians, investors and speculators.
Land is the basisof existence for millions of small families. Earth is their “Mother”. She needs to be respected and be cared for. The global rush for land is being justified by economic progress which is bullshit. This misrepresentation must be challenged head-on.
Read Oxfam’s Report “Land and Power.