Narratives of scarcity: Framing the global land rush

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dc.contributor.authorScoones, Ian
dc.contributor.authorSmalley, Rebecca
dc.contributor.authorHall, Ruth
dc.contributor.authorTsikata, Dzodzi
dc.date.accessioned2020-02-12T11:22:55Z
dc.date.available2020-02-12T11:22:55Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractGlobal resource scarcity has become a central policy concern, with predictions of rising populations, natural resource depletion and hunger. The narratives of scarcity that arise as a result justify actions to harness resources considered ‘underutilised’, leading to contestations over rights and entitlements and producing new scarcities. Yet scarcity is contingent, contextual, relational and above all political. We present an analysis of three framings – absolute, relative and political scarcity – associated with the intellectual traditions of Malthus, Ricardo and Marx, respectively. A review of 134 global and Africa-specific policy and related sources demonstrates how diverse framings of scarcity – what it is, its causes and what is to be done – are evident in competing narratives that animate debates about the future of food and farming in Africa and globally. We argue that current mainstream narratives emphasise absolute and relative scarcity, while ignoring political scarcity. Opening up this debate, with a more explicit focus on political scarcities is, we argue, important; emphasising how resources are distributed between different needs and uses, and so different people and social classes. For African settings, seen as both a source of abundant resources and a site where global scarcities may be resolved, as well as where local scarcities are being experienced most acutely, a political scarcity framing on the global land rush, and resource questions more broadly, is, we suggest, essential.en_US
dc.identifier.citationScoones, I., Smalley, R., Hall, R., & Tsikata, D. (2019). Narratives of scarcity: Framing the global land rush. Geoforum, 101, 231-241. doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2018.06.006en_US
dc.identifier.issn00167185
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10566/5172
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherElsevieren_US
dc.subjectScarcityen_US
dc.subjectResourcesen_US
dc.subjectLand rushen_US
dc.subjectAfricaen_US
dc.subjectNarrativesen_US
dc.titleNarratives of scarcity: Framing the global land rushen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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