The project deals with the issue of the socio-political, economic and environmental potentials and problems characterizing transnational, large-scale land acquisitions (LSLA). Over the last years, forceful eruption of cross-border land acquisitions took place. There is, however, only limited academic knowledge of the circumstances in which these land deals take place – in terms of processes and contexts – as well as in respect to their impacts on local populations. LSLA may have significant and uneven impacts on the livelihood systems of local populations. Yet, it is acknowledged that the promises are not fulfilled and that land acquisitions are in some cases detrimental to large number of populations. The project's preliminary findings from field research indicate that the on-going agrarian transformation associated with rubber-tree plantation in Cambodia and Laos increases the vulnerability of the less well-off segments of the population. Based on comprehensive case studies in both countries, the project aims at producing generalised insights for evidence based decision and policy making. The research will be structured around three core questions : What are the processes among various actors and institutions across different administrative scales determining the negotiation and implementation of land acquisition ? What are the impacts of land deals on local populations in terms of livelihood system and vulnerability ? What role do existing policies, institutions and mechanisms play (and what role could they play) in mitigating the tensions related to LSLA and protecting the human rights of local populations ?
Beyond its contribution to the academic debates related to "land grabbing", the project will provide material for policy dialogue with authorities, UN agencies, international financial institutions and non-governmental organizations in their effort to accompany the implementation of large-scale land deals and to mitigate their possible negative impacts.