Fair Transitions and the Politics of Land. Institutions and imaginaries for inclusive futures.
Please be reminded that on Thursday June 29th we start with parallel sessions at the Drift Building. Please refer to your button below ‘Programme: Parallel sessions’ to know what session is taking place in which room or ask our volunteers at the Drift building for directions.
This year in the Annual Conference of 2023 LANDac is joining forces with IOS-Fair Transitions to discuss the crossroads of the fair transitions and land governance debates in the context of climate change. The IOS-Fair Transitions-LANDac International Conference 2023 is structured around the joint challenge of finding ways to make transitions fair and inclusive, for human and non-human life. We look forward to an exciting transdisciplinary collaboration that we hope will draw many of you to Utrecht, The Netherlands. It will take place on 28-29-30 June and will be held on site with a limited offer of hybrid possibilities.
Format:
This year the conference will be held on-site in Utrecht City Centre.Online participation is limited to participants that are presenting during a limited amount of hybrid sessions. Please note that attending the conference online is not possible this year.
Key dates:
Call for Abstracts: February 28th to April 7th, 2023 | closed
Online registration:
Early bird tickets: April 14th until May 12th
Regular tickets: May 13th until June 27th
Conference: June 28th to June 30th
Registration fees:
Early-birds:
€175
Regular:
€225
Dinner on June 29th, 2023 We are sorry to inform you that due to great interest in joining the dinner there are no longer any vacant spots available.
Please note that the programme might be subject to change. For the latest version of the programme, please regularly check the Conference Page. Times are displayed in CEST (Central European Summer Time).
Dr. Mark Jackson is a human geographer with an expertise in postcolonial, decolonial and posthuman geographies. His interests revolve around the ecologies of thought and action, knowledge ecologies, critical theory, urban life and political ecology.
dr. Fatima Denton
Wednesday, June 28th
dr. Fatima Denton is the Director of United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UU-INRA) and holder of the Prince Claus chair. As chair holder dr. Denton has a goal to democratize the debate around just transitions by fighting for the inclusion of communities that are most affected.
prof. Christian Lund
Friday, June 30th
Lund is a Professor of Development, Resource Management, and Governance, at the Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on property, local politics and state formation.
Core concerns of the conference
Questions about how land is governed and controlled in the context of multiple crises are key to debates about fair transitions. The energy transition, net-zero ambitions, nature protection, and food system transformation all involve claims on land, water, and forests. How these claims are framed, analysed, and governed, how access to land is organised, and who gets a seat at the table to discuss key decisions are questions of urgent concern from both a fair transitions perspective and a land governance perspective.
More than ever, land is scarce and the transitions on the agenda take place in a context of high inequality at multiple scales and levels. Exclusionary pathways of transition lead to highly unfair distributions of ‘costs and benefits’ of the effects of climate change and mitigation measures. Under the current conditions of capitalism and authoritarianism, climate, food security, and biodiversity imperatives may lead to the loss of access to land and resources, and propel a deepening of existing social, economic, and political inequalities. Feminist, (post-)colonial and intersectional critiques from across the globe suggest ways to rethink these wicked problems and expose false solutions. The growing awareness that fair transitions in our times have to take into account non-human life in all of its articulations, asks for a serious change of perspective. Rethinking justice and inclusion from this perspective is hugely challenging- in land governance and beyond.
The current situation raises urgent questions as to how these transitions will and should be governed, and how dynamics of deepening exclusion and inequality should be addressed and prevented. The challenges ahead call for theoretical, historical, legal, and empirical analysis, feeding smart and sustained action. Key global concerns are: How much land do we need for what transitions? Who is able to claim what part, on what basis, and at whose expense? What (legal) frameworks should guide decision-making? With this background, the questions guiding this conference are: How could transitions be made fair for both human and non-human life? What role is there for land governance actors and (formal and informal) institutions? Who will have a seat at the table and what knowledges are taken into account? How will non-human interests be represented? Could transitions be a lever for promoting equity?
To explore these questions, we invite session proposals around any of the below themes:
I. Transition pathways and the question of inequality
The climate crisis has disproportionate impacts across the globe and within societies. Transitions risk reproducing and deepening inequalities at multiple scales and levels. Access to land and property is a key dimension of socio- economic, political, gender, generational, and racialised inequalities. Inequality is reflected in outcome (unequal sharing of the burden of risks and benefits) but also process (who gets a seat at the table). We invite sessions that analyse these connections; that theorize, historicize and critique current norms and pathways of transition from the vantage point of (in)equality; or that propose ways to use transitions creatively as a lever to reduce inequality.
II. Rethinking inclusive transitions from a more-than-human perspective
The consequences of our human-centred ways of thinking (we call it humanism, or anthropocentrism), have had major consequences for how we speak of the earth, of non-human forms of life, and of course for how we envision ourselves. The good news is that, at the start of the 21st century, in theory, but also in literature and in the arts, in law and of course in activism, this more-than-human (or posthuman) world has become increasingly important. Today, many would agree, that thinking about fair and inclusive transitions necessarily requires a more-than-human perspective, but how are the interests of non-human beings represented and how are human and non-human interests negotiated? How can we realise, politically, socially and ethically, a use of land that is fair for all?
III. Transition squared: Rethinking land governance, land rights and responsible investment
The claims generated by the energy transition, climate change mitigation, carbon capture, food production, and nature conservation, translate into considerable challenges for land governance for which current institutions are only partly equipped. Key concerns are with the role of formal and informal institutions for conflict mediation and the protection of land rights in view of multiple claims on the ground; and upstream measures related to responsible land use planning and due diligence requirements.
IV. Sharing tools and solutions pathways for fair transitions
This theme was created to host a number of proposals we received that address tools and solutions for fair transitions. While some of the sessions in this stream were initially submitted to other themes, a dedicated stream for tools and solutions was created to balance sessions between themes.
V. Activism: Trusted alliances and unusual collaborations
Forging fair transitions will not be possible without active engagement from different sectors of society. In terms of activism these are both challenging and exciting times. There is much to learn from the experience of local and transnational activism built up in the fields of (more-than-) human rights and environmental justice. At the same time, the climate imperative has motivated many young people to engage, renewing repertoires of activism, using the possibilities of social media. We invite sessions that explore these developments and the unusual alliances that emerge, between long-standing social movements, ‘activist’ politicians, youth activism, but also investigative journalism and the use of documentaries.
We want to make your attendance to the conference and your stay at Utrecht as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Click on the button below for all the practical information about directions on how to go to conference venues, where to book your hotels (and where possibly discounts apply) and some tips on where to eat out or enjoy a drink after the conference activities.
IOS Fair Transitions/ LANDac Conference 2023
Fair Transitions and the Politics of Land. Institutions and imaginaries for inclusive futures.
Please be reminded that on Thursday June 29th we start with parallel sessions at the Drift Building. Please refer to your button below ‘Programme: Parallel sessions’ to know what session is taking place in which room or ask our volunteers at the Drift building for directions.
This year in the Annual Conference of 2023 LANDac is joining forces with IOS-Fair Transitions to discuss the crossroads of the fair transitions and land governance debates in the context of climate change. The IOS-Fair Transitions-LANDac International Conference 2023 is structured around the joint challenge of finding ways to make transitions fair and inclusive, for human and non-human life. We look forward to an exciting transdisciplinary collaboration that we hope will draw many of you to Utrecht, The Netherlands. It will take place on 28-29-30 June and will be held on site with a limited offer of hybrid possibilities.
Format:
This year the conference will be held on-site in Utrecht City Centre. Online participation is limited to participants that are presenting during a limited amount of hybrid sessions. Please note that attending the conference online is not possible this year.
Key dates:
Registration fees:
Dinner on June 29th, 2023
We are sorry to inform you that due to great interest in joining the dinner there are no longer any vacant spots available.
Provisional Conference Programme
Please note that the programme might be subject to change. For the latest version of the programme, please regularly check the Conference Page. Times are displayed in CEST (Central European Summer Time).
2023
Parallel Sessions
Keynote speakers:
prof. Mark Jackson
Wednesday, June 28th
Dr. Mark Jackson is a human geographer with an expertise in postcolonial, decolonial and posthuman geographies. His interests revolve around the ecologies of thought and action, knowledge ecologies, critical theory, urban life and political ecology.
dr. Fatima Denton
Wednesday, June 28th
dr. Fatima Denton is the Director of United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UU-INRA) and holder of the Prince Claus chair. As chair holder dr. Denton has a goal to democratize the debate around just transitions by fighting for the inclusion of communities that are most affected.
prof. Christian Lund
Friday, June 30th
Lund is a Professor of Development, Resource Management, and Governance, at the Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on property, local politics and state formation.
Core concerns of the conference
Questions about how land is governed and controlled in the context of multiple crises are key to debates about fair transitions. The energy transition, net-zero ambitions, nature protection, and food system transformation all involve claims on land, water, and forests. How these claims are framed, analysed, and governed, how access to land is organised, and who gets a seat at the table to discuss key decisions are questions of urgent concern from both a fair transitions perspective and a land governance perspective.
More than ever, land is scarce and the transitions on the agenda take place in a context of high inequality at multiple scales and levels. Exclusionary pathways of transition lead to highly unfair distributions of ‘costs and benefits’ of the effects of climate change and mitigation measures. Under the current conditions of capitalism and authoritarianism, climate, food security, and biodiversity imperatives may lead to the loss of access to land and resources, and propel a deepening of existing social, economic, and political inequalities. Feminist, (post-)colonial and intersectional critiques from across the globe suggest ways to rethink these wicked problems and expose false solutions. The growing awareness that fair transitions in our times have to take into account non-human life in all of its articulations, asks for a serious change of perspective. Rethinking justice and inclusion from this perspective is hugely challenging- in land governance and beyond.
The current situation raises urgent questions as to how these transitions will and should be governed, and how dynamics of deepening exclusion and inequality should be addressed and prevented. The challenges ahead call for theoretical, historical, legal, and empirical analysis, feeding smart and sustained action. Key global concerns are: How much land do we need for what transitions? Who is able to claim what part, on what basis, and at whose expense? What (legal) frameworks should guide decision-making? With this background, the questions guiding this conference are: How could transitions be made fair for both human and non-human life? What role is there for land governance actors and (formal and informal) institutions? Who will have a seat at the table and what knowledges are taken into account? How will non-human interests be represented? Could transitions be a lever for promoting equity?
To explore these questions, we invite session proposals around any of the below themes:
The climate crisis has disproportionate impacts across the globe and within societies. Transitions risk reproducing and deepening inequalities at multiple scales and levels. Access to land and property is a key dimension of socio- economic, political, gender, generational, and racialised inequalities. Inequality is reflected in outcome (unequal sharing of the burden of risks and benefits) but also process (who gets a seat at the table). We invite sessions that analyse these connections; that theorize, historicize and critique current norms and pathways of transition from the vantage point of (in)equality; or that propose ways to use transitions creatively as a lever to reduce inequality.
The consequences of our human-centred ways of thinking (we call it humanism, or anthropocentrism), have had major consequences for how we speak of the earth, of non-human forms of life, and of course for how we envision ourselves. The good news is that, at the start of the 21st century, in theory, but also in literature and in the arts, in law and of course in activism, this more-than-human (or posthuman) world has become increasingly important. Today, many would agree, that thinking about fair and inclusive transitions necessarily requires a more-than-human perspective, but how are the interests of non-human beings represented and how are human and non-human interests negotiated? How can we realise, politically, socially and ethically, a use of land that is fair for all?
The claims generated by the energy transition, climate change mitigation, carbon capture, food production, and nature conservation, translate into considerable challenges for land governance for which current institutions are only partly equipped. Key concerns are with the role of formal and informal institutions for conflict mediation and the protection of land rights in view of multiple claims on the ground; and upstream measures related to responsible land use planning and due diligence requirements.
This theme was created to host a number of proposals we received that address tools and solutions for fair transitions. While some of the sessions in this stream were initially submitted to other themes, a dedicated stream for tools and solutions was created to balance sessions between themes.
Forging fair transitions will not be possible without active engagement from different sectors of society. In terms of activism these are both challenging and exciting times. There is much to learn from the experience of local and transnational activism built up in the fields of (more-than-) human rights and environmental justice. At the same time, the climate imperative has motivated many young people to engage, renewing repertoires of activism, using the possibilities of social media. We invite sessions that explore these developments and the unusual alliances that emerge, between long-standing social movements, ‘activist’ politicians, youth activism, but also investigative journalism and the use of documentaries.
The book of abstracts is available now:
Practical information:
We want to make your attendance to the conference and your stay at Utrecht as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Click on the button below for all the practical information about directions on how to go to conference venues, where to book your hotels (and where possibly discounts apply) and some tips on where to eat out or enjoy a drink after the conference activities.
Going around Utrecht
For inquiries:
fairtransitions.landac2023@gmail.com
Organizing committee 2023:
Wytske Chamberlain (UU & LAND-at-scale)
Mayke Kaag (African Studies Centre Leiden)
Barbara Codispoti (Oxfam Novib)
Joanny Bélair (Bureau du Québec, Rabat)
Gemma van der Haar (WUR/LANDac)
Annelies Zoomers (UU)
Rick Dolphijn (UU, IOS Fair Transitions)
Imke Greven (RVO Netherlands)
Richard Pompoes (UU, IOS Fair Transitions)
Marit Meijer (UU, IOS Fair Transitions)