World Bank’s Controversial Land Reform Agenda

A new report from the Oakland Institute has alleged that the World Bank is using climate action as a pretext to push land reforms that prioritise corporate interests over local communities and environmental protection. The findings come just days before the Bank’s 2025 Land Conference, set to begin May 5 in Washington, D.C.

The report, titled Climatewash: The World Bank’s Fresh Offensive on Land Rights, examines how the Bank is leveraging commitments made during global climate talks to justify a multibillion-dollar push to formalise land tenure across the Global South.

While the institution frames these efforts as necessary for climate mitigation, the research suggests the real aim is to open lands for agribusiness, mining of transition minerals and carbon credit schemes — policies that could accelerate displacement and ecological harm.

According to the report, the World Bank has committed 10 billion to land programs while pledging to double its annual agribusiness investments to 10 billion to land programs while pledging to double its annual agribusiness investments to 9 billion by 2030.

These initiatives often promote private land titling and market-based systems, dismantling traditional collective tenure arrangements. Critics argue this approach facilitates corporate land acquisition while burdening governments with debt, as many programs are financed through loans.

Frédéric Mousseau, Policy Director at the Oakland Institute and the report’s lead author, accused World Bank of repackaging a long-standing agenda.

“Hijacking the climate crisis, the Bank is attempting to breathe new life into policies that have historically faced resistance from communities,” he said.

“Instead of securing land rights, this plan risks enabling land grabs and worsening inequality,” Mousseau added.

The report draws on case studies from Indonesia, Malawi, Madagascar, the Philippines and Argentina, documenting how World Bank-backed reforms have already led to displacement and entrenched land inequality.

It also challenges the Bank’s climate claims, noting that its support for industrial agriculture and extractive industries contradicts recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which emphasises agroecology and land protection.

Andy Currier, a policy analyst and co-author of the report, highlighted the disconnect between the Bank’s rhetoric and actions. “There is a blatant contradiction between the Bank’s narrative of accessing land for climate action and its financing of activities that drive climate change,” he said.

The findings arrive as the World Bank prepares to convene policymakers, financiers, and development experts for its Land Conference, where Global South nations — many already indebted from past loans — will face pressure to adopt these reforms. The Oakland Institute warns that without scrutiny, the policies could deepen exploitation while failing to deliver promised climate benefits.

The report calls for a reevaluation of the Bank’s approach, urging greater transparency and accountability in land governance to prevent further harm to vulnerable populations and ecosystems.

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