Land rush
Saturnino M. Borras, Jennifer C. Franco
Abstract
Studies and debates on the issue of land grabs have generated<br/>multiple terms and concepts that are used loosely and<br/>interchangeably, such as large-scale land acquisitions, land grab,<br/>land deals, land enclosure, and land rush, among others.<br/>Explanations and critiques of such terms have built and enriched<br/>our knowledge. Yet, there is one term that has been underexplored:<br/>land rush. Here, we offer our own definition of a ‘land<br/>rush’, which has a different meaning from the other commonly<br/>used terms. These differences have important theoretical,<br/>methodological and political extensions and implications.<br/>Applying the lens of ‘land rush’ requires us to adjust our focus,<br/>and shows that the literature and public debates have focused on<br/>‘concluded, operational land acquisitions’; they have tended to be<br/>dismissive of ‘failed land deals’, blind to ‘pin prick’ types of land<br/>accumulation, and have rarely taken the ‘land rush’ itself as the<br/>unit of inquiry and subject of public debate in any systematic<br/>way. This has led to a fragmented knowledge. Using the concept<br/>of the ‘land rush’ enables us to connect the issue of land grabs to<br/>broader global social life more effectively. As such, it is a key<br/>concept in Critical Agrarian Studies.