Online database and report on large-scale land deals launched

On the 26th of April in Washington, during the Land and Poverty Conference organised by the World Bank, the Land Matrix partnership - composed by the International Land Coalition, CDE, GIGA, GIZ and CIRAD – launched a new report and online database providing important insight into the complex, global phenomenon of large-scale land acquisitions. 

The online public database documented 1,006 deals since the year 2000 amounting to 70,217,083 ha of land which equals the size of half of Western Europe. It is accessible by http://www.landportal.info/landmatrix

Lack of transparency is a major hindrance to promoting accountability and improved decisions on land and investment. The Land Matrix is a significant step to opening up information and debate on this trend, as it encourages researchers, governments, citizens and companies to provide more data on land acquisitions. The innovative interface is designed for the public to crowdsource new information, and also improve the database's quality and reliability. 

The Land Matrix will periodically publish an analytical report, with the first one of the series focusing specifically on transnational agriculture deals in low and middle income countries in the Global South and Eastern Europe. 

The Land Matrix public interface has been developed by Tactical Technology Collective, an international NGO working to enable the effective use of information for progressive social change.