Ten reasons to care about land right now

Vicki Hird

12 October 2012

It can be hard to get excited about land. It's not very sexy is it?  But with crops withering in the fields and food prices in the headlines, have you thought about the land your food comes from? Does it matter? These ten things may help convince you why it's worth you getting involved in what happens to land - apart from just walking on it.

1.       Besides possible real estate on Mars and a few bizarre islands being expensively generated in Dubai, they're not making it anymore.. it's a finite thing. Like life really... it needs some care after centuries of abuse.

2.       We do all know, deep down, that we rely on land - for most of the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the wooden table we put together badly last year,  the condoms we may be using, and so on..

3.       Most of us are being greedy, using too much land. Europe's 'land footprint' is one of the largest in the world (on average we each use  1.3 hectares compared to Indians with less than 0.4 hectares!)

4.       If you have a pension you may be part of the problem.  Yes, huge pension funds are funding some major land grabs -taking Land from those who need it and destroying vital soil, forests, habitats and water systems.

5.       Your car will already be consuming land which could be feeding folk who need a square meal. Actionaid illustrate this nicely with their funny spoof Actionaid biofuel film. Seriously though, using food for feeding cars.. really? We're asking the UK government to end this madness here

6.       Even Adam Smith was worried about privatising it! "As soon as the land of any country has all become private property, the landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed, and demand a rent even for its natural produce. "

7.       Land is actually being lost. It is estimated that up to 24% of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded by overgrazing, agriculture, deforestation and industrialization. One study suggests land degradation over the next 25 years may reduce global food production by up to 12% pushing up world food prices by 30%.

8.       They are selling off allotments for developments - even with 100,000 people on waiting lists? Three quarters of Britain's 330,000 allotment holders fear their land may be sold off for development.

9.       It is precious. After the worst drought in the U.S. in half a century destroyed one-sixth of the country's expected corn crop, with climate change impacts already being felt, and the non- land resource ie fish, being severely depleted - we have a problem of food supply. Yet we still use the crops for feeding cars and factory farmed animals, we allow unregulated commodity food crops speculation and land grabs and we don't ensure farming is sustainable. All that has to change.

10.   Finally, we more or less know the big things that need to happen. So you can do something to protect this valuable stuff you walk over every day.  

If you are now interested - take action and get involved in the Land, Food and Water Hub - where you can hear news, actions and debate - here.