Doctoral Dissertation Research: Theorizing Rural Land Disputes

博士论文研究：农村土地纠纷理论化

• 批准号: 1523810
• 负责人: James Ferguson
• 金额: $ 1.74万
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-05-15 至 2020-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1523810&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Theorizing; Rural

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, rising food prices prompted key players in the agribusiness industry to invest in land across the Global South. Large-scale land investments are often touted for providing local communities with access to capital, employment opportunities, and higher crop yields. Research suggests, however, that these investments are often accompanied by forced evictions, loss of livelihoods, and food insecurity. The link between large-scale land investments, food security, and peace remains poorly understood. Understanding this link has the potential to inform U.S. efforts to promote development and political stability in regions where food security and broader notions of security are intimately tied. This project contributes toward such an understanding by examining the local impact of large-scale land investments in northern Sudan, where Saudi, Egyptian and Emirati investors have recently acquired large tracts of land to grow food for export. In particular, it explores the social transformations set in motion by these land deals in Sudan's agricultural Gezira region. The research will be carried out by Stanford University anthropology doctoral student, Nisrin Elamin Abdelrahman, under the supervision of Dr. James Ferguson. Through a 12-month ethnographic study in two Gezira communities, the researcher will closely examine the role local leaders play in mediating community efforts to reclaim access to lands leased to foreign investors. She will observe dispute mediations in and outside of court settings. She will also participate in the day-to-day activities of small farmers and landless agricultural workers who are negotiating the opportunities and losses produced by recent changes in land ownership. Finally, she will trace the development of a campaign led by civil society organizations aimed at building national awareness around land rights. Data will be collected using participant observation, interviews, life histories, dispute mediation observations, and archival research. The findings can inform policy efforts to better address the context-specific impact of large-scale land investments on local people's lives. By highlighting how local leadership is mobilized to prevent conflicts over land and to broaden access to it, this research will help advance both the study and practice of peace-building in the wider region. Funding this research also supports the training of a graduate student.

在2008年金融危机之后，食品价格上涨促使农业综合企业的主要参与者投资于全球南部的土地。大规模的土地投资通常被吹捧为为当地社区提供资本，就业机会和较高的农作物收益率。但是，研究表明，这些投资通常伴随着强迫驱逐，生计丧失和粮食不安全。大规模的土地投资，粮食安全和和平之间的联系仍然鲜为人知。了解这一联系有可能为美国在粮食安全和更广泛的安全概念密切联系的地区促进发展和政治稳定的努力。该项目通过检查苏丹北部大规模土地投资的当地影响有助于这种理解，沙特，埃及和阿联酋投资者最近收购了大量土地，以种植粮食以进行出口。特别是，它探讨了这些土地交易在苏丹农业盖兹拉地区实现的社会转变。这项研究将由斯坦福大学人类学博士学生Nisrin Elamin Abdelrahman在James Ferguson博士的监督下进行。通过在两个Gezira社区进行的为期12个月的人种学研究，研究人员将仔细研究当地领导人在调解社区的努力方面所扮演的角色，以收回向外国投资者租用的土地。她将在法庭环境中观察到纠纷调解。她还将参加小型农民和无土地农业工人的日常活动，他们正在谈判最近的土地所有权变化所带来的机会和损失。最后，她将追踪旨在建立围绕土地权利的国家意识的民间社会组织领导的运动的发展。数据将使用参与者观察，访谈，生活史，争议调解观察和档案研究收集数据。这些发现可以为政策努力提供依据，以更好地解决大型土地投资对当地人民生活的特定背景影响。通过强调如何动员当地领导以防止土地上的冲突并扩大对土地的机会，这项研究将有助于进步更广泛地区的和平建设的研究和实践。为这项研究提供资金，还支持对研究生的培训。