Justice and Sustainability: Resistance and Innovation in a Transnational Land Deal in Ghana

Journal title QA Rivista dell’Associazione Rossi-Doria
Author/s Poul Wisborg
Publishing Year 2013 Issue 2013/2
Language Italian Pages 26 P. 137-162 File size 466 KB
DOI 10.3280/QU2013-002006
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Resistance and social innovation shape the outcomes of transnational land grabbing in terms of justice and sustainability. This paper examines a case of appropriation of land in southern Ghana. The resultant environmental effects and the loss of farmland triggered resistance, particularly after a shift from biofuel to large-scale food production. Resistance induced the company to seek "operational peace" by paying compensation to those who lost farmland and trying to improve its local relations. The case exhibits both resistance to land appropriation and some modest steps towards social innovation, though not adequate to address social justice issues linked to land, labour, gender, and the environment. Understanding the dynamics of resistance and innovation is helpful in addressing issues of social justice and sustainability involved in transnational land grabbing). EconLit Classification: 0130, 0310, P480, Q150, Q560

Keywords: Appropriation, Agriculture, Ghana, Gender, Human rights, Innovation and invention, Land, Norway, Resistance, Transnational, Political economy, Legal institutions, Land ownership and tenure, Environment and development

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Poul Wisborg, Justice and sustainability: resistance and innovation in a transnational land deal in Ghana in "QA Rivista dell’Associazione Rossi-Doria" 2/2013, pp 137-162, DOI: 10.3280/QU2013-002006