Smallholder bargaining power in large-scale land deals: a relational perspective

Background

The increasing wave of large-scale land acquisitions has spurred discussion on the political reactions of smallholders. However, this paper adds the crucial dimension of smallholder bargaining power in the face of investors. This is particularly relevant in Southeast Asia, given the diverse landscape of smallholders, political regimes, and civil society organizations. While broader power configurations often disadvantage smallholders, local micro-processes reveal significant variations, necessitating a closer examination of local power dynamics. The authors draw their approach from literature on peasant resistance, rural clientelist politics, and contract negotiations, highlighting key social relations as potential bases for smallholder power.

Goals and Methods

The goals of this research are to explore how and under what conditions smallholders can influence key decisions in large-scale land deals to their own advantage. To achieve these goals, the authors adopt a relational perspective, focusing on the social relations through which smallholders can access and leverage power and resources in relation to investors. Case studies in Indonesia and the Philippines, supplemented by other Southeast Asian examples, form the methodology of this explorative analysis, which examines five key social relationships: interdependency with investors, horizontal relations, tactical relations with state officials, relations with specialists in violence, and relations with supra-local civil society groups, with the goal of identifying the opportunities for and constraints on smallholder bargaining power.

Conclusions and Takeaways

The study's major outcomes emphasize that several factors shape smallholder bargaining power. First, recognizing and leveraging interdependencies with investors, state officials, and politicians can allow smallholders to exert greater influence. Second, smallholders' relationships with various actors can either facilitate or hinder their access to power resources, which reveals that understanding network dynamics and maintaining independent networks are crucial. Third, the analysis highlights the necessity of contextualizing these relationships within specific local power configurations that consider political and land regimes and historical conflicts. Finally, the paper emphasizes that smallholder bargaining power constantly evolves in response to both local and broader transformations, suggesting that power relations are fluid and require ongoing attention.