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Picture Courtesy: Down to Earth

Context:

Anthropogenic land use conversions in 2023 totalled 28.6 mega hectares (mha), half of which replaced long-lived or secondary natural vegetation, according to the first global land change monitoring system as reported by OPERA Land Surface Disturbance Alert (DIST-ALERT).

Key Findings of Food from Somewhere of International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), :

• According to report, increasing cost of land is contributing to a global “land squeeze,” between 2008 and 2022, global land prices have doubled, with Central and Eastern Europe experiencing a threefold increase.

• Top 1% of the largest farms control about 70% of the world’s agricultural land, limiting access for smallholder farmers and undermining equitable food production. 

• Land deals under the pretext of environmental protection—often referred to as "green grabs"—now represent approximately 20% of all large-scale land acquisitions.
• Green grabbing involves taking control of large areas of land or natural resources in the name of environmental conservation, often leading to harmful social and economic effects on local communities. 

Key Drivers of Land Conversion:

• Governments, corporations, and private investors are increasingly acquiring vast tracts of land, often displacing Indigenous populations and small-scale farmers in the process. 

• As the global population rises, so does the demand for essential resources namely food, animal feed, fibre, and fuel are also rising. Experts projected that by 2025, Bengaluru's water requirement would reach approximately 2,100 million litres per day (MLD), while the available supply could lag behind by 20 to 30 percent. 

• Increase in acquisition of land for mining.  

• There is a noticeable shift from traditional farming to industrialized agricultural practices, including large-scale monoculture and factory-style animal farming (CAFOs). 

Impacts of Land Conversion:

• The expansion of large-scale land acquisitions is pushing Indigenous groups and smallholder farmers off their land, disrupting traditional livelihoods and cultural ties to the land. 

• As farming communities lose access to land, local food production declines, increasing food insecurity especially in vulnerable regions. 

• Limited land access reduces income opportunities, deepening poverty in rural areas and curtailing prospects for development. 

• The focus on export-driven, industrial agriculture encourages practices like deforestation, intensive water use, and soil exhaustion, undermining long-term land health. 

• Expanding land for monoculture farming, mining, and infrastructure projects. 

• As land becomes more contested, tensions can escalate between communities, corporations, and governments, sometimes leading to open conflict. 

India’s efforts to address Land conversion:

• National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP): Aimed at digitizing land records, improving transparency, and ensuring secure land tenure, this program helps reduce disputes and supports better land use planning. 

• Formation and Support of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs): The government is promoting the creation of 10,000 FPOs to empower small and marginal farmers by enhancing their collective bargaining power, improving access to markets, and enabling efficient resource 

• National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: Provides legal entitlement to subsidized food grains for around two-thirds of India's population, ensuring food access while supporting domestic agriculture. 

• Soil Health Card Scheme: Provides farmers with detailed information about soil quality and nutrient requirements, encouraging responsible use of fertilizers and improving crop yields.
• National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): Focuses on climate-resilient farming techniques, sustainable land use practices, and resource conservation to safeguard long-term agricultural sustainability.

Way-forward:

• Enhancing cropland productivity through improved farming techniques, better livestock management. 

• Effective management of grazing lands is essential to prevent overgrazing, which leads to land degradation. 

• Empowering Small-Scale Farmers 

• Supporting Ecosystem Restoration and Biodiversity 

Source: Down to Earth