Trajectories of land acquisition and enclosure: Development schemes, virtual land grabs, and green acquisitions in Indonesia's Outer Islands

John McCarthy, Jacqueline Vel, Suraya Afiff

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

    Abstract

    While the size and speculative nature of land transactions in the wake of energy, food and climate crises have surprised observers, the reasons for partial implementation of many land developments remain largely unexamined. This contribution investigates trajectories of land acquisition and enclosure by analyzing four acquisition processes in Indonesia - those associated with rice, oil palm, Jatropha and carbon sequestration - considering their implications for comparative studies elsewhere. The paper finds that current patterns of land use change represent a continuation of ongoing land transformation processes. It describes the logic leading to partial realization of large-scale schemes. Highlighting the importance of interactions between formal and vernacular rural land development processes, the essay concludes that many large-scale schemes are better understood as virtual land acquisitions.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)521-549
    JournalThe Journal of Peasant Studies
    Volume39
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2012

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Trajectories of land acquisition and enclosure: Development schemes, virtual land grabs, and green acquisitions in Indonesia's Outer Islands'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this