Impacts of forest-related large-scale land acquisitions in the Indian Ocean world

With the ‘global land grab’ now a primary ongoing process in the developing world, greater attention to region-specific analyses provides critical insights for effective policy responses. The Indian Ocean world has the greatest regional concentration of large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) globally, and it is also where most of the investor countries reside. Yet examination of Indian Ocean-specific patterns and processes of LSLAs is lacking. One of the most sought after categories of lands are those in forested or recently forested areas, owing to their high potential natural resource and agricultural value. This review article examines the primary issues, actors and impacts of LSLAs of forest-related lands in the broader Indian Ocean world, while assessing the opportunities for national populations of target countries as well as investors and the key social and environmental concerns requiring policy attention.