TD Berlin: WHO OWNS THE LAND?

Arable land is traded by investors worldwide in order to generate returns. In Germany, too, bets have long been placed on land; for example, the ALDI heirs own gigantic areas of farmland in eastern Germany. This investigative play is dedicated to speculation with agricultural land and the phenomenon of "land grabbing" in Europe and the global South. And also the associated climate policy and social consequences.At the beginning of the 21st century, agricultural land the size of Western Europe was bought up by investors in the Global South. Forests are being cleared and small farms replaced by industrial monocultures in order to manufacture products for the northern hemisphere in neo-colonial structures. The financial investment "land" is more profitable than real estate, promises rising margins due to the climate crisis, which it itself exacerbates, and benefits from EU subsidies.

Based on interviews with NGOs, farmers and political actors, Helge Schmidt and his team condense the major challenges of our time - colonial legacy, climate crisis and financial speculation - into a search for new social models based on the eponymous question "Who owns the land?". How can agriculture be ecologically restructured? How can we create legal certainty for small farmers in the global South? How can we prevent financial products that are detrimental to the vast majority of people?

"WHO OWNS THE LAND?"

by Helge Schmidt and team

16 - 18 January 2025 at 20:00