Land Grabs

By Justin Ritchie, originally published by The Extraenvironmentalist

July 8, 2013

Society
NOTE: Images in this archived article have been removed.

Image RemovedA financial sector built on a foundation of continuous material expansion is seeking returns in a slowing global economy. Will investments in global farmland be able to provide the returns expected by pension funds, endowments and future financial claims? Why are investors suddenly emphasizing the same data and charts that environmentalists have been pointing towards for decades?

In Extraenvironmentalist #62 we discuss the global race for farmland with Fred Pearce as detailed in his recent book: The Land Grabbers. We hear about his journey around the world to uncover the secret deals being signed by governments at the expense of their people. Then we speak with Gregor Macdonald about the global energy trends driving this search for innovative returns. Gregor describes why the age of nuclear power is ending as complexity overwhelms large systems and how the global economy has changed dramatically since conventional oil reached its plateau.

Justin Ritchie

Justin is in Vancouver, BC where he reads books, researches energy, carbon and financial systems at the University of British Columbia Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability while occasionally walking in the forest.

Tags: farm land, finance, geopolitics, land grabs, Nuclear, Oil, peak oil, pensions

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