Does Commons Grabbing Lead to Resilience Grabbing? The Anti-Politics Machine of Neo-Liberal Agrarian Development and Local Responses

Abstract

This new publication from the r4d "Towards Food Sustainability"-project employs Ferguson's concept of the "Anti-Politics Machine" to uncover hidden power asymmetries of state-driven development strategies in the age of neoliberalism. "Commons-grabbing" is the institutional change from common to state and private property, often based on a false discourse of "unproductive" or "unused" resources. Institutional pluralism facilitates this process. Moreover, financial compensation for grabbing commons do not equally reach affected people, do not cover their loss and increase vulnerability, thus eroding resilience and especially affecting women.