ABSTRACT
Defending their access to land has always been a major motivation for rural people to mobilize locally, nationally, and, more recently, in global struggles against land grabbing. I analyze how rural social movements have built up their capacities as global mobilizers and policy players over the past decade. I assess the success with which they are exploiting the current window of political opportunity opened up by interlinked global food, fuel, climate, and financial crises, accompanied by the highly publicized phenomenon of land grabbing. Particular attention is given to the newly reformed Committee on World Food Security, as the only global policy forum in the UN system in which these actors intervene as full participants, and to the recent negotiation of Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Land, Fisheries and Forests. The conclusion identifies challenges that need to be addressed in order for rural social movements to consolidate the gains made.
