Dynamics of contemporary land grabbing and agrarian transformations in Chile (2007–2021)

Abstract

This article discusses agricultural changes and the dynamics of contemporary land grabbing in Chile between 2007 and 2021. This case study provides a good example for analyzing, from national and subnational perspectives, what is happening in other geographical areas of Latin America. Based on descriptive statistical techniques and a review of specialized materials on the subject, the results suggest that contemporary agricultural changes in Chile are determined by global demand for primary products, where control of land has shifted from remote regions with so-called “unproductive lands” to areas of high value for the production of food and non-food products such as fruit growing and forestry. Companies promote forms of land control at the subnational level, but also at the intraregional level. The forms of land grabbing are varied, including acquisitions, traditional land purchase procedures, or leases to reduce investment risks. One of the most important dynamics is the increase in land acquisition for the production and export of cherries in recent years, making it one of the food products of greatest interest to the Chilean economy. Therefore, in view of the increased demand for land associated with this and other products, it will be important to consider the creation of explicit public policies to regulate land grabbing, otherwise social gaps and the precariousness of life in the most vulnerable rural sectors may increase.