book1

years (approximately last couple of decades) shows a remarkable increase in
the transna� onal hunt for land by economically powerful interna� onal and
na� onal players (e.g. mul� na� onal corpora� ons (both agribusiness as well as
others), na� onal governments, equity funds, and banks, etc.) and rela� vely
less powerful en� � es (e.g. associa� on of farmers with ac� ve support from
their domes� c governments) for a variety of purposes including cul� va� on
of biofuels and a range of cash crops 4 .
These cases serve as a reminder that how mul� na� onal companies have
been grabbing the land with the support of IFIs and government. A further
study on how the mul� na� onal aid and na� onal elites are grabbing the land
with the support of banks or government is absolutely impera� ve. The IFIs
and bilateral organiza� ons have been providing fund to big projects for land
acquisi� on but the compensa� on is received by landlords not the � llers. In
Nepal, the real � llers largely have no land cer� fi cate to claim the compensa� on.
Poli� cal changes notwithstanding, foreign aid con� nues to make up a
very large share of the development budget. Despite the signifi cant infl ow
of aid, the people at large feel that aid channeled through government line
ministries has done li� le to poverty reduc� on, and that much of the aid
money as been drained. Even the seemingly large aid for agriculture has not
resulted in acceptable growth in agricultural produc� on (Sharma 2008).
Agriculture land has been treated as a profi table commodity. In this
context, the ques� on is who is providing foreign aid and for whom? If it is for
the cause of social jus� ce and poverty allevia� on as claimed, it leaves much
to be desired. So far the aid has been able to fulfi ll the agendas and interest
of elites and ruling class.
It makes one wonder if foreign aid is meant for eradica� ng poverty or
eradica� ng the poor!
Reference:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2011/oct/06/un-land-dealsgovernance-talks?intcmp=122,
UN expert calls for guidelines to protect
vulnerable people against 'land grabs', on 7th October 2011)
Mihaly, E.B., ( 2003) Foreign Aid and Poli� cs in Nepal, Himal Books, Kathmandu Nepal
Shrestha, N.R. (1998), In the name of Development, A refl ec� on of Nepal, Educa� on
Interprisese Private Limited, Kathmandu, Nepal
Retrieved from h� p://www.grain.org/ar� cle/entries/3995-land-grabbing-in-la� namerica
on 30th October 2011)
Development Coopera� on Report 2005, Ministry of Finance, GON
Grain Newsle� er 2010
The Himalayan Times, 10 May 2010).
Nagrik Daily 14 April 2009
Kan� pur Daily, 16 June 2011
Annapurna Post Daily, 17 May 2011
Kan� pur Daily 3 March 2011
Sharma, S., Upre� , B., Basnet, J. ( 2008), Land Poli� cs and Confl ict in Nepal, Reali� es
and poten� als for agrarian transforma� on.
4. Praveen Jha, presented the slide in Land Asia Forum 2011 organised by ILC, CSRC and
ANGOC in Kathmandu, Nepal from 20-21st October 2011
Changing paradigms of aid eff ec� veness in Nepal 187