Public Land Commodification
A carbon reduction strategy of conservation contingent upon evicting hundreds of millions of people from their native lands will lead to massive injustices on global and historical scales. Over the last decade, the world has suffered from a new form of Eco-Colonialism. One where rich billionaires are buying thousands of acres of nature’s public space, under the false statement of Conservation & Preservation. The countryside of Patagonia, the highlands of Scotland and the landscapes of New Zealand are all ‘up for grabs’, as billionaires rush to secure land, while spreading acute environmental injustice.
The International Land Coalition emphasizes the potential or actual harm done to local people, defining land grabs as acquisitions or concessions that are in violation of human rights. Take for example the beautiful region of Patagonia encompassing the vast southernmost tip of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile, with the Andes Mountains as its dividing line. A once untouched edge of the Earth, the Patagonian region is now host to the largest concentration of foreign buyers. Entire lakes, volcanoes, mountains and grasslands are enclosed by private property limits. The amount of land acquired in South America shows an incredible 5.6 million acres which would be equivalent in size to the country of Belize.
At the top of the 'land owning pyramid' was the founder of clothing brand 'North Face', Douglas Tompkins, and his wife Kris Tompkins. The couple purchased over 2.2 million acres of land in both Chile and Argentina, a massive venture which was met with skepticism and opposition from both governments. Their purchase of 270,000 hectares of land for only $25 million to create Parque Pumalin created huge controversy, as the land essentially split the country in two. In 1997, the Chilean government forced Tompkins to sign an accord which greatly limited his ability for any further land purchases in Chile, among other conditions. Over time, Tompkins tried to reinforce his position as a conservationist by returning his land back to the government for the creation of national parks. The accord was eventually lifted, and Tompkins continued to purchase land in the far south of Chile until his death in 2015.
In the lens of David Schlosberg, Tompkins violated all three conceptions of Environmental Justice: Justice as Distribution, Justice as Recognition and Justice as participation. By not ‘saving’ nature that is under risk, but rather an already privileged environment, Tompkins contributed to the unequal distribution of social good. In other words, he helped the rich become even richer. Furthermore unequal distribution was deepened when Tompkin's purchases effectively cut the country in two, challenging national territorial integrity and preventing the construction of crucial infrastructure, such as roads and power lines, that would link Patagonia with the rest of Chile. In addition, both Justice for Recognition and Participation are violated by Tompkins. By buying lands that are only ‘beautiful’ and not ‘endangered,’ Tompkins invaded lands that have little human-nature interaction. Meaning, landscapes that have none or few residents even to recognize or invite to participate. Furthermore, Tompkins was accused of ignoring the rights of smallholder farmers who had lived on his newly purchased properties for generations, but who lacked proper land titles. A complete violation of human rights.
The volatile liquidation of Patagonia to foreign buyers and its increased parcellation is a clear act of environmental injustice caused by a new land grabbing form of Eco-Colonialism.
The above information is based on research done by AMO Netherlands and Harvard Alumni Andy Bako