Struggles for land: comparing resistance movements against agro-industrial and mining investment projects

Investments in large-scale land-based projects increased over the past two decades, with a concomitant rise in community-level resistance. Drawing from data on resistance movements, literature findings, and two case studies in Senegal, this paper compares movements resisting either agro-industrial or mining projects. Building on contentious politics and materialist approaches from political ecology we find that outcomes seem largely case-dependent and determined by political opportunities, while resistance motives, narratives and more confrontational practices differ across both sectors. We suggest that this can be explained through sector-specific material, discursive and institutional factors. Our findings shed light on challenges for cross-sectoral alliances.

Automated summary

This study compares movements resisting agro-industrial and mining projects, finding that outcomes mainly depend on specific cases and political opportunities, while resistance motives, narratives, and practices differ across both sectors. This difference can be explained by sector-specific factors and presents challenges for cross-sectoral alliances.