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Africa: How Land Grabbing Harms the Environment and Its Defenders

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4 days ago

September 19, 2025

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When land grabbing banishes communities from their homes, the surrounding environment and biodiversity are left at the mercy of destructive industries
The term “land grabs” describes large-scale acquisitions of land that rob communities of access to their homes and livelihoods. While the term has become more common in the last two decades, the concept is deeply rooted in historical injustices.
Fundamentally a land grab on a global scale, colonialism was driven by European powers seeking to expand their empires and exploit the resources they encountered. Through violence, deception and imposed legal systems, colonisers dispossessed communities and Indigenous Peoples the world over of their lands.
This legacy of colonialism continues to shape global power dynamics and the distribution of land and wealth, and destructive industries continue to encroach on communities’ territories in search of space and resources.
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Whether for industrial agriculture, logging or mining, contemporary land grabs echo the past and often perpetuate the same patterns of exploitation, marginalisation and disregard for the rights and livelihoods of local communities. Many of these land grabs are illegal.
To defend their lands, livelihoods and homes, communities are forced to resist. In doing so, they become land and environmental defenders.
What is land grabbing?
Land grabbing is the acquisition of a large expanse of land or territory by a range of actors: investors, corporations, governments and powerful individuals. Usually, land grabs are at the expense of families and communities who have lived on or used the land sustainably for generations.
It may occur through a direct purchase of land, through leases or the illegal occupation of land. It often occurs in countries where there are weak legal protections on land rights.
In Chile, for instance, the Mapuche Indigenous Peoples have been locked in a struggle with the state to legally reclaim their ancestral lands from which they were historically displaced. But official tenure has proven difficult to secure.
This legal uncertainty leaves the Mapuche vulnerable to both land grabbing and violence, particularly as corporate actors show interest in extracting from the area. One Mapuche leader, Julia Chuñil, was disappeared after years working to secure rights to, and protect, ancestral land.
Land grabbing may also occur through force. A central driver behind many of today’s wider global conflicts, land grabbing is also undertaken by states. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for instance, can be understood as a land grab, as can Israeli settlers’ seizure of Palestinian territory in the West Bank.
Along with resources, conflict over land can stem from historical claims and deep-rooted beliefs around identity.
What are land rights and who has them?
While land rights are a vague issue under international law, it tends to refer to an individual’s or the collective rights to own, occupy, enjoy and use a piece of land.
Secure land rights are intimately connected to the broader protection of several human rights. For many people globally, land is a source of livelihood and food security. It is more than earth; it is culture, identity, security. And it is linked to efforts to protect the environment and nature. For many, land means life.
Rights to land are enshrined under legislation like property law or considered a customary right. Indigenous communities who have historically inhabited a piece of land, or used it for traditional hunting and gathering, may be granted an informal right to its continued use, for example.
Without these legal protections, Indigenous Peoples and other communities can find themselves ejected from their homes and displaced from the land on which they live – usually without proper consent, compensation or transparency.
In the case of landless peasant communities, even customary rights can be out of reach, leaving millions dispossessed without legal recourse.
In Brazil, where a meagre 3% of the population is thought to own two-thirds of arable land, the Movimento Sem Terra (MST) has learnt to navigate legal loopholes to establish land rights instead – namely the stipulation that Brazil’s government may reappropriate land that “is not fulfilling its social function.” By taking aim at unproductive farmland, MST has secured land titles for some 350,000 families.
Women too might struggle to assert their land rights, if they are granted any at all. Women are still denied inheritance of their husband’s property in over 100 countries, and even when women’s ownership of property is legally recognised, patriarchal cultural attitudes may prevail – in some areas of Latin America, for example, daughters have been expected to relinquish land they inherit to their brother.
Asserting one’s rights to land does not come without risk. When land defenders and their communities speak out against land grabs, they can face harassment and violence.
One Global Witness investigation into Brazil’s Apyterewa Indigenous land heard testimonies from village leaders about attacks by land grabbers, with community members shot at, animals slaughtered and entire homes burnt down. These attacks are likely linked to illegal cattle farms in the area.
While land rights are not typically tied to human rights under international law, there is a growing argument that the two should be linked. Without official rights over the lands and territories, communities’ access to a place to live, grow food and access drinking water can all be compromised – along with their cultural identity.
What are the underlying drivers of land grabbing?
Land grabbing is driven by unequal power dynamics between major industries, governments and investors working to secure land – whether directly or indirectly – and the people who have made their homes and live off the land.
Land grabbing has been exacerbated in recent decades by:
Agribusiness has historically hoarded land across the globe. Between 2006 and 2016, 491 large-scale land grabs took place for food and biofuel production, according to non-profit GRAIN’s count. Meanwhile, in early 2016, the Land Matrix found agriculture deals representing nearly 30 million hectares of land – an area roughly the same size as Italy.
Mining is also emerging as a major risk factor. One Nature report found that almost 70% of existing transition mineral mining projects – which extract materials essential to the energy transition – are on or near land that belongs to Indigenous Peoples or peasant communities.
Beyond mining, “green grabs” – the sale of land to enable the green transition, carbon offsets and controversial conservation projects – more broadly have increased, representing around 20% of land grabs today.
The global crackdown on drug trafficking has also had the unintended effect of driving organised criminal groups deeper into remote areas, such as tropical forests, where their activities clash with Indigenous communities. By carving out space for roads or creating cattle pasture to launder money, drug traffickers not only increase deforestation but also force Indigenous Peoples off their land, sometimes with violence.
The inequalities and stigma faced by defenders, particularly Indigenous communities, women and rural peasants, inflame these factors. The discrimination that these groups face is then intensified by land dispossession in a grim self-perpetuating cycle.
In the Philippines, for instance, Indigenous Peoples lost an area of land bigger than 2.2 million football fields to mining tenements since the 1990s, according to a Global Witness investigation.
The stigma faced by Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines compounds this displacement. Some have been forced to grapple with being typified as terrorists. Such accusations are increasingly being used to silence defenders who resist environmentally damaging projects, in a process called “red-tagging”.
What is the relationship between land rights and the environment?
Land ownership and environmental protection are not separate entities but inextricably linked. When communities assert their rights to land and to a healthy environment – one where they can breathe clean air and find enough food and clean water – they provide a buffer against environmentally destructive actors.
Indigenous Peoples and local communities play a vital role in protecting our planet’s remaining biodiversity, equipped as they are with localised generational knowledge of their home’s specific habitats.
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Despite only making up around 6% of the world’s population, Indigenous Peoples are thought to manage a quarter of its land through customary arrangements. Beyond this, at least half of our planet’s land area is believed to be under Indigenous or community tenure.
The traditional and customary knowledge that they hold has a dramatic impact on conservation – over a third of the planet’s remaining intact forest landscapes sits in Indigenous territory. Conversely, deforestation rates tend to be lower in Indigenous-managed territory in comparison to unprotected areas, while carbon storage is higher.
Yet Indigenous Peoples and local communities have legally secured just a tenth of their own land.
The benefit that protecting local communities’ land rights has for the environment can be seen in one of Colombia first protected peasant reserves, Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Sostenible Perla Amazónica (ADISPA). As well as defending land rights for campesino communities, ADISPA promotes sustainable farming practices that help to preserve biodiversity in the area.
For many people worldwide, stewardship of their land has also formed an integral part of belief systems, customs and collective identity.
Solutions: Protecting the land rights of affected communities and Indigenous Peoples
States must guarantee the land rights of rural communities and Indigenous Peoples through comprehensive land reforms that redistribute land and promote fairer land ownership.
This should involve all government and business projects securing the free, prior and informed consent of affected Indigenous and traditional communities through meaningful consultation.
This is stipulated in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, The Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO Convention 169) and the UN Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests.
Authors
Becca Inglis, Web Content Editor
Read the original article on Global Witness.
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 120 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
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Africa: Governance, Evidence, Narratives – Building Blocks for a Multisectoral Ncd and Mental Health Response

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17 seconds ago

September 23, 2025

An24 Africa

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The global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions represents far more than a health and well-being challenge. The alarming figures – 43 million NCD-related deaths each year and one billion people living with mental health conditions worldwide – underscore the profound economic, equity and development implications of one of the most pressing global health issues of our time.
Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease and other NCDs take and devastate countless lives, but also hinder human and economic development, drain billions from economies, and put the most vulnerable at disproportionate risk. The major modifiable risk factors for NCDs – tobacco and alcohol use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and air pollution – are driven by socioeconomic, environmental or commercial determinants of health. Our income, social status, or level of education, the environment which we are born and live in, as well as our ability to access and afford care, all influence effective NCD prevention, management and treatment services.
A crucial step to advancing sustainable development
As many of the root causes and consequences of NCDs lie outside the traditional domain of public health, effective governance and policy-making must be multisectoral, engaging finance, trade, social affairs, economic development, treasury, technology, education and other relevant government sectors.
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The forthcoming political declaration of the Fourth High-Level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being recognizes that health is both a precondition for, and an outcome of, sustainable development as a whole. Across all its commitments, it calls upon countries to have operational, multisectoral, and integrated policies or action plans on noncommunicable diseases and mental health in place by 2030.
However, implementing multisectoral governance and developing coherent policies remains a practical challenge for many countries. Institutionalizing cross-sectoral governance and a “whole-of-government” approach with clear accountability, fostering leadership, leveraging interdisciplinary data and evidence, and reframing NCDs beyond a mere health issue often prove complex, costly, or difficult to sustain over time.
Still, countries are demonstrating promising progress in effectively formalizing, informing and promoting multisectoral action.
Incentivizing and sustaining multisectoral governance
Effective multisectoral collaboration builds on joint governance and accountability among different government sectors and public agencies, leadership at all levels, a culture of interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, as well as dedicated human and financial resources. As much as possible, these strategic pillars of multisectoral governance and action should be formalized through presidential orders or municipal bills, high-level cross-sectoral committees or working groups, dedicated workstreams and meetings, or targeted financing and budgeting.
In Finland, for example, an Advisory Board for Public Health convenes the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, Finance, Education and Culture, Employment and the Economy, Environment, Interior, Justice, Social Affairs and Health, and Transport and Communications. Through several national initiatives, the Advisory Board has improved decision-making on complex issues such as the negative impact of obesity on the working capacity of the population.
In Tanzania, the multisectoral National NCD Programme under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s Office includes a yearly multi-sectoral steering meeting and is supported by a network of dedicated focal persons specializing in health in all policies in multiple government agencies.
Leveraging multistakeholder data- and knowledge-sharing
Multisectoral NCD policies and programmes must draw and integrate diverse data sources, different types of evidence and interdisciplinary expertise, including from actors beyond the health sector, and include people living with NCDs, mental health and neurological conditions in the design and implementation of these policies.
The production, exchange and application of multisectoral evidence can be supported through multistakeholder collaboration whilst ensuring clear lines of measurable accountability for implementation. Governments should leverage the expertise of academia, communities, civil society and people living with NCDs, mental health and neurological conditions to ensure their meaningful engagement in NCD initiatives.
In Canada, for example, the Quality of Life Framework effectively combines health data with economic, social, governance, and environmental indicators to measure well-being and to inform federal budgeting processes and reporting.
In the small municipality of Paipa in Colombia, a digital information system helps policy-makers and public health specialists to monitor the health status of urban and rural communities, combining data on social, economic, housing, environmental and health needs in a single municipal system that informs multisectoral policies and programmes.
Reframing the NCD narrative
Formalizing multisectoral governance and leveraging interdisciplinary evidence also help reframe the narrative of NCDs as a pressing and increasing socio-economic, environmental, and development endeavor.
There are multiple strategies to address this communication challenge: emphasizing the co-benefits of multisectoral action – including economic gains, social equity, and environmental impact – and stressing the unsustainable costs of inaction and the devastating impact of health inequities; or anchoring NCD prevention and control in people’s right to health, the need for universal health coverage, or integrated primary health care. Strong, multisectoral narratives on NCDs are key to mobilizing different stakeholders, and a powerful means for building trust, and reducing siloed structures and competing priorities.
In Sri Lanka, for example, an educational initiative for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes framed education as a tool for prevention, a long-term investment in human capital and a cross-sectoral responsibility, rather than just a health or education issue. Through the resulting multisectoral school health, screening and health promotion programme, this multisectoral initiative achieved a lasting, positive impact on tackling challenges of unhealthy diets, obesity and physical inactivity.
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In the Philippines, a campaign to promote physical activity was reframed as an initiative for active transport and open spaces, presenting a health concern as a challenge for transport and urban planning. Since the programme’s inception in 2021, more than 500 km of bicycle lanes were built or improved in the Metropolitan areas of Manila, Davao, and Cebu as part as part of the Active Transport programme.
Key steps to advancing multisectoral governance and action on NCDs
In support of the global commitment by Member States to multisectoral collaboration in the forthcoming political declaration, governments, in collaboration with civil society and relevant partners, can advance cross-sectoral NCD policies and programmes in three key areas:

institutionalize multisectoral governance with clear and transparent accountability, coherent NCD policies and joint action as sustainable and resilient government mechanisms, financing mechanisms, or national priority initiatives;
strengthen coherent multisectoral data governance and evidence frameworks that include standardized, interoperable data collection systems and leverage expertise from diverse communities and people with lived experience; and
reshape the predominant NCD narratives to highlight the co-benefits of multisectoral action and emphasize shared roles and accountability across sectors and actors.

About the series
This commentary is part of a series highlighting priority areas to accelerate progress in the global NCD and mental health response and address related global health equity challenges ahead of the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNHLM4) in 2025.
Discover the full series
Read the original article on WHO.
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.
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Africa: United Nations At 80 – Better Together

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1 hour ago

September 23, 2025

An24 Africa

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This Tuesday, September 23, the 80th session of the UN General Assembly will open in New York. Its theme– »Better Together: More than 80 Years of Serving Peace, Development, and Human Rights »–is eminently laudable. It offers an opening in an international context no longer characterized by a Cold War, but rather by real, deadly wars–Gaza, Ukraine–between Europe and Russia, and between Israelis and Palestinians. In this unprecedented context, that wish– »Better Together »–constitutes a hope for ending wars and reviving belief in peace.
The current situation of « hot » wars and trade wars, in which the major powers are the main, if not, the only actors, contributes neither to the credibility nor to the effectiveness of the UN, much less to that of the permanent members of the Security Council. Their reluctance, or powerlessness, or even their direct and indirect participation in wars, weakens trust in the UN. Across the world, populations, increasingly interconnected via social media, doubt its commitment to peace and become skeptical of its effectiveness. Its five permanent members are certainly not coming out on top. Worse, the international community is increasingly perceived not as a global entity but as diverse groups with conflicting interests. The famous « We the Peoples » of the UN Charter is gradually withering away. In that context, and given the current serious antagonisms between the major powers, the risks of a new world war are more real than ever.
Other serious crises–climate change, chaotic regional and international migrations–affect peaceful relations between nations and call for serious action to find lasting solutions for peace. With the current ongoing wars, the credibility of the Security Council is seriously weakened, while the message of the Global South, still to be appreciated, is gaining strength among public opinion and in reality.
The continuation of ongoing conflicts, broadcast through various modern means of communication–weakening the image of the Security Council and that of its permanent members in particular–affects the credibility of the United Nations. Its predecessor, the League of Nations (League of Nations), having been unable to prevent the Second World War, barely survived it.
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In conclusion, preventing the already declining international legitimacy from further collapsing remains the responsibility of key decision-makers, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council and other major financial contributors. With the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the millions of refugees and displaced persons, mass migration, and continued environmental degradation, increased effectiveness of the international community should be more than a wish; it should be a vital necessity for all, a « better together » approach.
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Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah President centre4s and former UN Under Secretary general
Read the original article on Centre 4s.
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Africa: UNGA Explained – a Simple Guide for 2025

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3 hours ago

September 23, 2025

An24 Africa

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What Is UNGA?
Every September, world leaders gather at the United Nations headquarters in New York for the UN General Assembly (UNGA) — the world’s biggest diplomatic meeting. Countries debate, make statements, and vote on the biggest global issues, from climate change to peace and security.
When Does It Happen?
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Who Speaks?
Where Does It Take Place?
What’s On the Agenda This Year?
How Does Membership Work?
How to Follow Along
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Read the original article on Capital FM.
AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.
AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa – aggregating, producing and distributing 500 news and information items daily from over 110 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC.
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