Environmental justice and harm to humans - Environmental Harm: An Eco-justice Perspective - page 60

Displacement from homelands is accelerating through the acquisition
by foreign governments and private companies of large areas of arable
land in developing countries. Thus
Parcels of several hundred thousands of hectares are being
bought or leased in Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, and
Eastern Europe by food-importing countries with domestic
land and water constraints but abundant capital, such as the
Gulf States, and by countries with large populations and
food security concerns, such as China, South Korea and
India. (Sutherland et al, 2009: 5)
These land acquisitions are having major negative impacts on local
people who are losing access and control over the resources on
which they depend, and which are the rightful inheritance of future
generations.
Land grab for biofuels
At the same time, communal lands are under threat due to private
and government pressures to introduce income-generating crops such
as biofuels in countries such as Brazil and Argentina (Robin, 2010;
Engdahl, 2007; Shiva, 2008). The problem here is twofold. First, lands
are being converted from food production to biofuel production,
thereby reducing the amount of food available and leading to escalating
prices for crops such as soya and corn (White, 2011). Second, formerly
communal lands are being forcibly seized by companies and/or
governments and transferred into private hands. The 'ownership' as well
as the use of the land is being rejigged in favour of private interests
and private profits. This is achieved not only by direct force, but by
policies that reward biofuel production through subsidies and quota
systems. The 'winners' are the new energy barons and their partners in
government. Again, local consumers and communities lose out.
Land grab for carbon emission trading
The issue of carbon colonialism is emerging as a form of climate
injustice. This relates to the harnessing of forests as carbon sinks (on
the part of commercial interests in developed countries) for which
credits can be earned and finance provided to developing countries,
particularly biodiverse countries such as those in Latin America. The
governments of such countries stand to gain financially from such