Extractive philanthropy: securing labour and land claim settlements in private nature reserves

A review of critical perspectives on private land conservation in academic literature

“…A less direct mechanism is pricing. Some reserve owners use a model of ecotourism that targets limited numbers of wealthy tourists in order to minimize the ecological impact of tourism; such lodges are unaffordable to the majority of the population in the country (Ramutsindela 2015). Related to this, the marketing of conservation as pristine wilderness devoid of human influence can fuel anti-agrarian bias (Spierenburg and Brooks 2014).…”

“…Some people perceive PLC to be self-serving, arguing that it is not driven by altruistic motives, but as a way to promote and protect self-interest. Ramutsindela (2015) implicates PLC in his broader critique of philanthropy, arguing that philanthropic activities reflect the interests and biases of donors and promote values of social order and economic development favorable to the powerful. He argues that private nature reserves in South Africa are used to achieve three interrelated objectives: to deter land claims, give wealth-generating activities a ''human face,'' and control a labor pool for purposes of upmarket ecotourism ventures.…”

“…These, too, have been the target of criticism. In South Africa, PPAs are accused of using philanthropy to ''tame'' land claimants, reducing the likelihood of claims (Ramutsindela 2015). Similar offers of financial security through livelihood opportunities in Chile were interpreted by communities as a bribe (Serenari et al 2016).…”

“…Community leaders passed a resolution preventing communities from establishing formal relations with a PPA in an effort to avoid ''assistencialism,'' or dependence on handouts. Ramutsindela (2015) reported that communities adjacent to PPAs in South Africa were forced to make difficult choices between either receiving philanthropic support from the PPA or filing land claims seeking reparations for previous dispossession from the land on which the PPA was located. In such cases, accepting philanthropic support from a PPA could lead to financial dependence to the point that communities might forego risky but more autonomous political solutions.…”

“…Some landowners appear to enroll in conservation programs to protect land from redistribution by government (Langholz et al 2000). PLC also includes efforts by for-profit entities (Stolton et al 2014); in this light, Ramutsindela (2015) argues that accumulation is integral to PLC. He states that the private sector sees conservation areas as a niche market for capital accumulation, with companies in particular using PLC to develop their competitive advantage.…”