The Word on Women - Food Insecurity and the Energy Crisis Result in Grabbing Land from Women [View all]

http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/blogs/the-word-on-women/food-insecurity-and-the-energy-crisis-result-in-grabbing-land-from-women

By Lydia Alpizar Duran
2/15/2012

Once the most frequented source of poster images depicting starving children, Ethiopia is now in the media for a new reason: as the go-to destination, ironically, for foreign companies and governments leasing land to grow food and biofuels.

Globally, food prices are rising. Food security is dubious in the Global North, Gulf countries and emerging economies such as China and India. Moreover, many nations face an energy crisis and are on a quest to find renewable alternatives to fossil fuels such as biofuels.

Given this confluence of circumstances, countries with abundant land such as Ethiopia, once ignored as too poor and destitute to warrant anything but food aid, now enjoy ‘most favored nation’ status in the eyes of foreign investors.

Women, who are already compensating for rising food prices and energy costs with additional time and labor – are now further disadvantaged through land grabbing.