A Generalization of Sraffa’s Notion of ‘Viability’ in a ‘Land Grabbing’ Context

The aim of this chapter is ultimately addressed to interpreting the recent phenomenon of the contemporary Large-Scale Land Acquisitions (LSLAs)—popularly referred to as ‘Land Grabbing’ (LG)—in light of Sraffa’s notion of ‘viability’. The most generally recognized factors behind the recent LSLAs, which essentially consist in buying or leasing abroad vast tracts of agricultural land by government and corporate firms to produce crops, can be found in the demographic and environmental pressure, due to population growth, energy policy and climate change, although the motivations formally given for undertaking investment in target countries are essentially that of closing the gap between the potential productivity yield and the actual one through the introduction of new technologies. However, according to core literature on LG, the most striking and dramatic impact produced by the processes of LG is that of constantly and heavily putting at high risk and danger the lives of millions of people. This chapter will also try to enlarge the economic perspective on ‘land’ and to question the widespread tendency of today’s economic profession to adopt an objective and apparently value-free approach.