Showing papers by "Saturnino M. Borras published in 2010"

The politics of biofuels, land and agrarian change: editors' introduction

Abstract: This introduction frames key questions on biofuels, land and agrarian change within agrarian political economy, political sociology and political ecology. It identifies and explains big questions that provide the starting point for the contributions to this collection. We lay out some of the emerging themes which define the politics of biofuels, land and agrarian change revolving around global (re)configurations; agro-ecological visions; conflicts, resistances and diverse outcomes; state, capital and society relations; mobilising opposition, creating alternatives; and change and continuity. An engaged agrarian political economy combined with global political economy, international relations and social movement theory provides an important framework for analysis and critique of the conditions, dynamics, contradictions, impacts and possibilities of the emerging global biofuels complex. Our hope is that this collection demonstrates the significance of a political economy of biofuels in capturing the complexi...

From Threat to Opportunity? Problems with the Idea of a "Code of Conduct" for Land- Grabbing

Abstract: The past decades have seen the emergence of a \"corporate social responsibility agenda\" in response to public and activist criticism of \"the impact of transnational corporations (TNCs) in developing countries and on the environment.\"' This agenda has emerged against the backdrop of shifting perceptions of how the market, the state, and civil society function and ought to function.2 One prominent version of this agenda has been the World Bank's advocacy of \"good governance\" as a \"persuasive ethical power that allows for [corporate] self-regulation, making it possible for governments to intervene less intrusively and more efficiently in society.\"3 Voluntary adherence by corporations to good business practices and ethical behavior is a cornerstone of this advocacy, and its most recent incarnation arises in the arena of rural development, focusing on access to land and taking the form of proposals for a Code of Conduct for land deals.

Contemporary discourses and contestations around pro-poor land policies and land governance.

Abstract: The meaning of land and land policies is diverse and contested across and within local and (inter)national settings.The phrase ‘land policy’, used to refer to all policies that have anything to do with land, may be convenient, but it masks the actual complexity of issues. Meanwhile, concern for ‘pro-poor’ land policy has coincided with the mainstream promotion of efficient administration of land policies, leading to the concept of ‘land governance’. Such concepts have enriched discussion on land issues, but they also complicate further an already complex terrain. In response, this paper offers possible analytical signposts, rather than an actual in-depth and elaborated analytical exploration of this terrain. It hopes to be a modest step forward and towards a better understanding of contemporary policy discourses and political contestations around land and land governance. _JOAC 1..32

The Politics of Transnational Agrarian Movements

Abstract: The transnational agrarian movements (TAMs) which have emerged in recent decades have been actively engaged in the politics and policies of international (rural) development. Intergovernmental and non-governmental development agencies have welcomed and supported TAMs in the context of promoting international ‘partnerships for development’. The analysis in this article revolves around the politics of TAM representation, intermediation

Critical perspectives in rural development studies

Abstract: 1. Agrarian Change and Peasant Studies: Changes, Continuities and Challenges - an Introduction Saturnino M. Borras Jr. 2. The Landlord Class, Peasant Differentiation, Class Struggle and the Transition to Capitalism: England, France and Prussia Compared Terence J. Byres 3. V. I. Lenin and A. V. Chayanov: Looking Back, Looking Forward Henry Bernstein 4. Chayanov's Treble Death and Tenuous Resurrection: An Essay about Understanding, about Roots of Plausibility and about Rural Russia Teodor Shanin 5. Development Strategies and Rural Development: Exploring Synergies, Eradicating Poverty Cristobal Kay 6. A Food Regime Genealogy Philip McMichael 7. Livelihoods Perspectives and Rural Development Ian Scoones 8. Engendering the Political Economy of Agrarian Change Shahra Razavi 9. Everyday Politics in Peasant Societies (and Ours) Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet 10. Synergies and Tensions between Rural Social Movements and Professional Researchers Marc Edelman

«Codes de bonne conduite»: une réponse à l'accaparement des terres?

Abstract: Pour repondre aux problemes sociaux et ecologiques causes par la nouvelle problematique de l’accaparement des terres, la Banque mondiale et l’IFPRI ont propose l’instauration d’un « code de bonne conduite » a destination des multinationales. Un tel code est-il reellement dans l’interet des pauvres des zones concernees ? Ou s’agit-il surtout d’eviter une remise en question plus profonde du phenomene ?