Local Development in the Context of Global Migration and the Global Land Rush: The Need for a Conceptual Update

Abstract

This paper argues that global linkages, flows and circulations merit a more central place in theorization about local development. In particular, we make connections across two dominant types of global flows that shape our world tremendously: international migration and large-scale land investments. The paper compares the two hypes and underlines the similarities in their genealogy, rhetoric and push for good governance as a solution. It then maps out the emergent geographies of local development given rise by these two ntersecting global flows and discusses how they hinder the road to inclusive and sustainable development. While analysing the consequences of the two global flows, we probe the mileage of two interlinked influential concepts in development studies: the notion 'development as freedom' and the Sustainable Livelihood Approach. We conclude that the relational aspects of livelihood and development, positionality of the local vis-à-vis the global or external, and transformations coming from the outside should be central in our renewed conceptualisation about local development.