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Although Pearce does not go so far as to propose possible solutions,
there is a range of opinion and ideas as to how to begin to tackle the
problem.
Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, has
suggested that when national governments are unable or unwilling to
devise regulations, the international community should step in to monitor
whether the rights of land users are being respected. Oxfam’s
recent report ‘Our Land, Our Lives’ highlights the pivotal role of the
World Bank as an advisor to governments in reforming their laws.
But this is easier said than done. As a representative from USAID in
Dar es Salaam admitted to Think Africa Press, “Land tenure, we know, is
at the heart of many problems as it is difficult for poor people to feed
themselves with limited and insecure access to land, but we are not
touching this subject, because it’s too contentious and complicated.”
An example of a private sector-driven initiative is Bonsucro, a
certification scheme which aims to ensure companies involved in the
production of sugar and ethanol from sugarcane meet environmental,
social and business standards. With consumers believed to be increasingly
concerned about the impacts of the goods they buy, the Bonsucro
certification is meant to reassure buyers that companies are acting in
sustainable ways and taking account of human rights and pollution
control.
Pearce acknowledges these developments in his last chapter where he
analyses some of the attempts at solutions though he does not put forward
his own. Nevertheless, Pearce’s book is a worthwhile read. His writing
style is highly engaging and reveals the duplicity of investors and interest
groups. He not only presents complicated and contentious issues such as
the correlation of Wall Street speculations and rising food prices in an
accessible manner, but also masterfully interweaves stories and issues
across countries and continents achieving a well-researched, logical and
informative account.
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