Land Matrix deal definition: What is a land deal?

The Land Matrix defines a land deal as any intended, concluded, or failed attempt to acquire land through purchase, lease, or concession for agricultural production, timber extraction, carbon trading, renewable energy production, industry, mining, oil and gas extraction, conservation, tourism, and land speculation in low- and middle-income countries.

The Land Matrix Global Observatory records deals that:

1.       Entail a transfer of rights to use, control, or ownership of land through sale, lease, or concession;

2.       Have been negotiated or concluded in the year 2000 or later;

3.       Cover an area of 200 hectares or more;

4.       Imply a potential effect on smallholder livelihoods, local community use, important ecosystem service provision, or on the distribution of land (rights).

Please note: For some of the countries hosting a Land Matrix National Land Observatory (NLO), the thresholds applied differ slightly from those of the Global Observatory. This is currently the case in Cameroon, Philippines, Senegal, and Uganda, where the NLOs apply a reduced minimum area size of 50 hectares per deal.