Big land deals in Africa are leaving people homeless and hungry. Families are being unfairly removed from their land and left with no way to grow food or earn a living. Poor families are often evicted without their consent, no warning and no compensation. Many of these cases involve ancestral lands that families have occupied for generations. Communities are being ripped apart.
A land grab is when when governments, banks or private investors buy up huge plots of land. Land is often acquired by international corporations or foreign governments looking for cheap agricultural space. The food is exported to feed people in another country. Crops are also grown to meet bio-fuel interests in wealthy nations. Free or inexpensive land boosts the profit margins of companies engaged in this gross injustice.
Land and Power is a film by award-winning animator Tim Wheatley. The film tells the story of a farmer who is evicted from his land. It’s based on actual events and highlights serious issues that are happening involving large scale land deals. The film is part of an Oxfam food justice campaign. The film uses a printmaking technique that was inspired by Ugandan artist Fred Mutebi.
An exclusive, acoustic version of “In My Place” by Coldplay was created in partnership with Oxfam. The band’s fans filmed themselves to raise awareness of land grabs and its devastating impact on communities.
Please visit Stop Land Grabs to learn more about this issue.
Independent Global Citizen 