The New Farm Owners: Finance Companies and the Restructuring of Australian and Global Agriculture (2011-2015)
Abstract
Financial institutions now control millions of hectares of farmlands, worldwide, marking a new phase in the ownership and organization of agriculture. Yet, little is known about the way Australian and global agriculture is being restructured by finance capital. This study will: investigate how and why financial institutions are involved in agriculture; assess the social and environmental impacts; identify local level responses; and link these changes to broader processes of globalization and neoliberalism. Expected outcomes are: improved knowledge of the dynamics of finance capital's role in agriculture; new insights into global agri-food transformations; and, an understanding of the nature of opposition and resistance to financialisation.
