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Jennifer Franco

Jennifer Franco
image/jpeg iconJennifer Franco
Agrarian Justice
Jennifer Franco

Co-coordinator of the CREPE-TNI agrofuels project.

Jennifer Franco, PhD., is an independent researcher. She also serves on the Asia Committee for International Development Programs at the development NGO Development and Peace (Developpement et Paix). Her previous work has focused mainly on rural social movements and democratisation in the Philippines. Her book publications include Elections and Democratisation in the Philippines (Routledge, 2001), with a new book on law and the rural poor in the Philippines forthcoming (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2010). She has published in important academic journals including the World Development, Journal of Agrarian Change, Journal of Peasant Studies, Journal of Development Studies and Critical Asian Studies.

Rural social movements; Democratisation; Philippines; Agrofuels
Selected publications: 
Pro - Poor Land Reform: A Critique
Contemporary discourses and contestations around pro-poor land policies and land governance

Recent content by Jennifer Franco

Global Land Grabbing and Trajectories of Agrarian Change: A Preliminary Analysis (15 Dec 2011)

The politics of change in land use and in property relations linked to cases of land grabbing are not well understood, and yet are crucial to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon; this paper explores these topics, providing a preliminary analysis.

Land grabbing in Latin America and the Caribbean in broader international perspectives (7 Dec 2011)

A critical re-assessment of a UN FAO study on land grabbing finds that a too-narrow definition has obscured evidence of land grabbing on a wider geographical scale than previously thought; this research includes new evidence of cases in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Land, conflict and the challenge of pro-poor peace-building (25 Oct 2011)

There is a lot of contention over approaches to land reform policy, in terms of how to involve the state, the market and communities; but what matters most for a socio-economically and politically sustainable solution, is that the policy is genuinely 'pro-poor'.

New Biofuel Project in Isabela (7 Oct 2011)

A Philippines biofuel project would appear to fit the World Bank's definition of a "win-win" scenario with its promise of jobs and conversion of 'idle land'. However a closer look unveils corporate manipulation, political corruption and exploitation of subsistence farmers that typically accompanies so-called "responsible investment"

Agricultural Innovation: Sustaining what agriculture? For what European bio-economy? (23 Feb 2011)

The Europe 2020 strategy's promotion of resource-efficient technologies and market incentives as the solution for sustainable agriculture is contradicted by experience where techno-fixes and market pressures have increased overall demand on resources.

Political Dynamics of Land-grabbing in Southeast Asia: Understanding Europe's Role (18 Jan 2011)

The European Union is a significant player in the widespread occurrence of land-grabbing in Southeast Asia; both through its corporate sector and public policies.

Regulating landgrabbing? (26 Dec 2010)

Calls for codes of conduct for landgrabbing not only fail to tackle the main drivers of land dispossession but also legitimise a new wave of land enclosures that will affect many vulnerable rural communities.

Assumptions in the European Union biofuels policy: frictions with experiences in Germany, Brazil and Mozambique (27 Jul 2010)

EU biofuels policy is based on the assumption that it will lead to greenhouse gas savings, energy security and rural development, however in-depth research in Germany, Brazil and Mozambique reveals fundamental contradictions between EU policy assumptions and practices in the real world.

Towards a Broader View of the Politics of Global Land Grabbing (14 Jun 2010)

The spectre of a global land grab by foreign transnationals has captured media attention, but perhaps the bigger danger lies in the response by institutions like the World Bank, whose supposedly ameliorative measures are likely to entrench dispossession rather than prevent it.

From Threat to Opportunity? Problems with a “Code of Conduct” for Land-Grabbing (19 Apr 2010)

The dominant perception of land-grabbing as a threat is being replaced by a new story line, promoted by, amongst other, the World Bank—that of new land deals as a potential opportunity for rural development. But this supposed win-win formula raises many problems, doubts and concerns.

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