Who Controls Agricultural Land? The shift from farmers to financiers | IPES-Food’s Nettie Wiebe

Today, 1% of farming operators control 70% of agricultural land globally – a staggering imbalance.

Farmer and IPES-Food expert Nettie Wiebe unpacks the global land squeeze and its devastating impact on farmers, communities, and biodiversity.

This shift—from farmer ownership to speculative capital—has pushed up land prices, made farming inaccessible for the next generation, and destroyed local ecosystems. Communities are being left behind, and food systems are at risk.

“Speculative capital in land is hollowing out communities and threatening sustainable food systems… We need new regulations to ensure farmers, not financiers, control the land,” says Nettie Wiebe.