Proletarianization and gateways to precarization in the context of land-based investments for agricultural commercialization in Lao PDR

Labor is central to the debates on global land-based investment. Proponents purport that these investments are an avenue for rural transformation from resource- wage-based livelihoods through generation of employment and contribution poverty reduction. Drawing a recent, unique national dataset land concessions in Lao PDR, this paper uses agrarian political economy lens investigate how live up expectation. The analyzes potential determinants degree which different social groups engage wage-labor within investments. Results show while create significant absolute number jobs, former users were offered predominantly low-skilled seasonal jobs. effects uneven depending degrees resource dispossession, extent job creation, availability alternative opportunities region. In majority cases, users, especially women pushed into precarious conditions three processes: dispossession without proletarianization; limited adverse proletarianization. We argue promotion as approach development, particularly along gradient transforming based livelihoods, ineffective concurrent beyond agricultural sector absorb labor reallocated traditional livelihoods. Enforcing regulations, including restrictions hiring foreign labor, compliance with minimum wages, relevant skills transfer essential minimize precarization increase benefits local people. Further, protecting peasants’ individual common land-use rights imperative concurrence increasing vulnerability.