Commercial investments in land: insights from an assessment of the quality of investments in land in Laos
Regional Land Forum, Hanoi 21-23 of June 2016
Authors:Vong Nanhthavong*, Cornelia Hett*, Ketkeo Phouangphet**, Michael Epprecht*
*Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) Office based in Laos, University of Bern
** Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos
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Concessions Report, 2012
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What & who are happening where?: inventory of land investments
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What?: sub-sectors & products
Source: Concessions Report, 2012
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Who is investing where?: types & origins of investor
72%
Source: Concessions Report, 2012
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Who are “good” or “bad”?: assessing quality of land investments in multiple dimension
Revealing trade off “multiple dimensions”
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Projects assessed in the pilot province
Total sample: 74
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Compliance: village consultation
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Economic impact: land lost & compensation
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Economic impact: to what extent do concessions contribute to local development “accessibility & poverty eradication”?
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Social impact: employments created by land investment projects
Total permanent
worker (female)Total seasonal
worker (female)
% of employments compared to
active labor force in the impacted
areas*
Average jobs per 100
ha
Agriculture (n=20) 39 (20) 40 (22) 0.6% 2
Tree plantation (n=5) 36 (10) 1,020 (624) 19% 11
Mining (n=49) 7 (0) 206 (60) 0.7% 266
Total 82 (30) 1,266 (706)
*source: housing & population census 2005
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Trade-off of rating scores “multi-dimensions”
LivestockFuel cropCoffeeRubber1Rubber2Rubber3Rubber4Gravel SandCompliance 19 12 20 16 22 16 13 14 10Economic 16 12 12 12 13 12 7 20 18Social 11 17 20 14 11 12 13 19 18Environmental 15 19 17 8 21 8 16 20 18
Total 61 60 69 50 67 48 49 73 64
Agriculture sub-sector Tree plantation sub-sector Mining sub-sector
Villagers’ perceived impacts of the project
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Trade-off of rating scores “multi-dimensions”
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Conclusion
•The projects show a great differences in terms of quality of investment.
•Importance of information integration:
– across thematic fields (economy, social, environmental & legal),
– and administrative levels (geographic scales)
• Qualitative assessment of multiple dimensions of the “quality of land investments”
can reveal important trade-offs of stakeholder claims.
• Revealing trade-off of quality aspects are fundamental information for
Government of Laos decision-making, which is currently lacking .