The current grabbing of land is not a new process: the appropriation of large tracts of land by powerful groups and the struggle of small-scale farmers and indigenous peoples to defend their rights, has been seen throughout history. The impact it is having today, however, gives it a special importance. How to defend the rights of producers?
Worldwide, private and public investors are signing agreements with governments to take possession or assume control of large areas of land. These "land grabs" ignore the rights of peasants, small-scale farmers and indigenous people. The various articles in this issue show how, in Peru, Brazil and Colombia, these processes are having a serious impact on local populations, especially in relation to the pollution of their resources, the overall participation of local populations, or even in relation to their right to adequate food.
