FIAN’s European sections and the Access to Land Network have jointly submitted a contribution to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, urging stronger human rights–based governance of land in Europe. Their message is straightforward: without secure and equitable access to land, the right to food cannot be realised — neither for today’s communities nor for future generations.
The submission draws on the daily work of organisations supporting small-scale food producers, rural communities, and agroecological initiatives across Europe. It shows that access to land is increasingly shaped by structural pressures rather than local needs. Land concentration, financial speculation and policy gaps have become defining elements of the European landscape.
Across the EU, the absence of a coherent land governance framework fuels the consolidation of large corporate farms at the expense of peasant and agroecological agriculture. As noted in the submission, the current regulatory vacuum allows speculative acquisitions and encourages a model of farming reliant on monocultures and fossil-fuel intensive inputs. This contributes to soil degradation — with 70% of soils already in poor condition — and undermines long-term food security.
Generational renewal adds another layer of urgency. Within the next decade, half of Europe’s farmers are set to retire, yet soaring land prices make it nearly impossible for young and new entrants to take over. In countries such as the Netherlands, land prices have surpassed €65,000 per hectare, effectively sidelining small-scale farmers and strengthening the position of financial investors.
The submission also highlights how existing EU policies, particularly the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), reinforce these trends. By distributing subsidies per hectare, the CAP favours larger holdings and inflates land prices. As a result, support is concentrated among those who already own significant land areas, leaving smaller and agroecological farmers at a disadvantage.
Land grabbing — both through large acquisitions and “soft” forms such as long-term leasing by agribusiness — continues to expand, especially in Eastern Member States. In Romania, up to 40% of agricultural land is controlled by investors from inside and outside the EU. Similar patterns appear in Hungary and Bulgaria.
These developments affect far more than land ownership. They shape the type of agriculture that becomes possible. When land is treated primarily as a speculative asset, agroecological farming — which depends on long-term stewardship, soil care and community relationships — becomes harder to establish and sustain.
The contribution submitted to the Special Rapporteur emphasises that land is not just a commodity. It is a foundation of rural livelihoods, ecosystems and communities. Access to land is also a gateway right: when it is denied, the right to food is weakened. This aligns with the vision articulated in the Access to Land Network’s Charter, which stresses land as a commons and the need to preserve it for agroecological farming, rural vitality and ecological balance.
The organisations call for governance frameworks that protect land-related human rights in line with UNDROP and other international standards. They also underline the importance of recognising the role of small-scale and agroecological farmers in maintaining healthy soils, local economies and food sovereignty.
Their submission to the Special Rapporteur is both a warning and a proposal. It warns of the consequences of continuing down the current path: accelerated land concentration, deeper social inequalities, and growing ecological instability. But it also offers a direction forward through rights-based policies that restore access to land for those who care for it.
As stated in their letter, the hope is that this analysis will support the forthcoming report of the Special Rapporteur and strengthen collective efforts to ensure that land governance protects human rights and food systems grounded in justice and resilience.