Land grabbing, land dispossession, land rush: what can we learn from Colombia?

Lorenza Arango; Julio Arias Vanegas; Saturnino M. Borras; Sergio Coronado; Ingrid Díaz; Darío Fajardo; Diana Ojeda; Rocío Del Pilar Peña-Huertas; Itayosara Rojas Herrera; Angela Serrano

doi:10.1080/03066150.2025.2554822

Land grabbing, land dispossession, land rush: what can we learn from Colombia?

Lorenza Arango
, Julio Arias Vanegas
, Saturnino M. Borras
, Sergio Coronado
, Ingrid Díaz
, Darío Fajardo
, Diana Ojeda
, Rocío Del Pilar Peña-Huertas
, Itayosara Rojas Herrera
, Angela Serrano

Pensar Institute

International Institute of Social Studies [ISS], Erasmus University Rotterdam
Independent Researcher
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Indiana University Bloomington
Universidad del Rosario
Universidad de los Andes Mérida

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

What can we learn about global land grabbing from one of its hotspots: Colombia? Conversely, what can Colombia learn from global dynamics? We examine key debates by analyzing the Colombian case, showing how global and national processes affirm, complicate, and challenge views on land deals, labor, and capital. Colombia’s particular configuration of corporate power, narco-capital, and displacement expands current understandings of actors and mechanisms in land grabs. In turn, global perspectives shed light on Colombia by situating it within broader dynamics of financialization, speculative investment, and labor fragmentation.

Translated title of the contribution	Acaparamiento, despojo y fiebre por la tierra: ¿que podemos aprender desde Colombia?
Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1632-1665
Journal	Journal of Peasant Studies
Volume	52
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2025.2554822
State	Published - 10 Nov 2025

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10.1080/03066150.2025.2554822

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03066150.2025.2554822

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title = "Land grabbing, land dispossession, land rush: what can we learn from Colombia?",

abstract = "What can we learn about global land grabbing from one of its hotspots: Colombia? Conversely, what can Colombia learn from global dynamics? We examine key debates by analyzing the Colombian case, showing how global and national processes affirm, complicate, and challenge views on land deals, labor, and capital. Colombia{\textquoteright}s particular configuration of corporate power, narco-capital, and displacement expands current understandings of actors and mechanisms in land grabs. In turn, global perspectives shed light on Colombia by situating it within broader dynamics of financialization, speculative investment, and labor fragmentation. ",

author = "Lorenza Arango and \{Arias Vanegas\}, Julio and Borras, \{Saturnino M.\} and Sergio Coronado and Ingrid D{\'i}az and Dar{\'i}o Fajardo and Diana Ojeda and Pe{\~n}a-Huertas, \{Roc{\'i}o Del Pilar\} and \{Rojas Herrera\}, Itayosara and Angela Serrano",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Land grabbing, land dispossession, land rush

T2 - what can we learn from Colombia?

AU - Arango, Lorenza

AU - Arias Vanegas, Julio

AU - Borras, Saturnino M.

AU - Coronado, Sergio

AU - Díaz, Ingrid

AU - Fajardo, Darío

AU - Ojeda, Diana

AU - Peña-Huertas, Rocío Del Pilar

AU - Rojas Herrera, Itayosara

AU - Serrano, Angela

PY - 2025/11/10

Y1 - 2025/11/10

N2 - What can we learn about global land grabbing from one of its hotspots: Colombia? Conversely, what can Colombia learn from global dynamics? We examine key debates by analyzing the Colombian case, showing how global and national processes affirm, complicate, and challenge views on land deals, labor, and capital. Colombia’s particular configuration of corporate power, narco-capital, and displacement expands current understandings of actors and mechanisms in land grabs. In turn, global perspectives shed light on Colombia by situating it within broader dynamics of financialization, speculative investment, and labor fragmentation.

AB - What can we learn about global land grabbing from one of its hotspots: Colombia? Conversely, what can Colombia learn from global dynamics? We examine key debates by analyzing the Colombian case, showing how global and national processes affirm, complicate, and challenge views on land deals, labor, and capital. Colombia’s particular configuration of corporate power, narco-capital, and displacement expands current understandings of actors and mechanisms in land grabs. In turn, global perspectives shed light on Colombia by situating it within broader dynamics of financialization, speculative investment, and labor fragmentation.

U2 - 10.1080/03066150.2025.2554822

DO - 10.1080/03066150.2025.2554822

M3 - Article

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SP - 1632

EP - 1665

JO - Journal of Peasant Studies

JF - Journal of Peasant Studies

IS - 7

ER -

Land grabbing, land dispossession, land rush: what can we learn from Colombia?

Abstract

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