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Unravelling Land Grabbing: Dynamics, Implications, and the Logic of Capital in East Germany

Herrmann, Annalena LU (2024) MIDM19 20241
Department of Human Geography
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
The global land grab is fuelling a concentration of land in the hands of a few and (further) embeds land into the logic of capital. In the context of industrialised agriculture, it remains understudied who the different actors vying for control of land are and how farmers respond to these pressures. Hence, this thesis aims to study how land grabbing manifests in East Germany where large farms dominate, and where recent years have seen a wide range of actors encroaching on land. I use an instrumental case study design and focus on the county Elbe-Elster to allow for a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play in East Germany. As a method, I conducted semi-structured interviews with farm managers and other relevant stakeholders. My... (More)
The global land grab is fuelling a concentration of land in the hands of a few and (further) embeds land into the logic of capital. In the context of industrialised agriculture, it remains understudied who the different actors vying for control of land are and how farmers respond to these pressures. Hence, this thesis aims to study how land grabbing manifests in East Germany where large farms dominate, and where recent years have seen a wide range of actors encroaching on land. I use an instrumental case study design and focus on the county Elbe-Elster to allow for a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play in East Germany. As a method, I conducted semi-structured interviews with farm managers and other relevant stakeholders. My results show that while land use change remains limited, there is a land grab underway in Elbe-Elster which squeezes out farmers, increases land concentration, and further embeds land into the logic of capital. This is amplified by a broader agrarian crisis where farmers often have no other choice than to accommodate investors if they want to keep their farm afloat. The actors involved are diverse in sector, scale, and motivations, including both productivity-oriented and rent-seeking pursuits. (Less)
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author
Herrmann, Annalena LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
land grabbing, land concentration, logic of capital, industrialised agriculture, East Germany, Elbe-Elster, agrarian crisis
language
English
id
9169057
date added to LUP
2024-07-24 12:07:30
date last changed
2024-07-24 12:07:30
@misc{9169057,
  abstract     = {{The global land grab is fuelling a concentration of land in the hands of a few and (further) embeds land into the logic of capital. In the context of industrialised agriculture, it remains understudied who the different actors vying for control of land are and how farmers respond to these pressures. Hence, this thesis aims to study how land grabbing manifests in East Germany where large farms dominate, and where recent years have seen a wide range of actors encroaching on land. I use an instrumental case study design and focus on the county Elbe-Elster to allow for a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play in East Germany. As a method, I conducted semi-structured interviews with farm managers and other relevant stakeholders. My results show that while land use change remains limited, there is a land grab underway in Elbe-Elster which squeezes out farmers, increases land concentration, and further embeds land into the logic of capital. This is amplified by a broader agrarian crisis where farmers often have no other choice than to accommodate investors if they want to keep their farm afloat. The actors involved are diverse in sector, scale, and motivations, including both productivity-oriented and rent-seeking pursuits.}},
  author       = {{Herrmann, Annalena}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Unravelling Land Grabbing: Dynamics, Implications, and the Logic of Capital in East Germany}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}