Autodeterminazione dei popoli e nuove forme di colonialismo

The Race to Land is generally understood as the phenomenon of large-scale investments in land by foreign investors, both public and private, particularly in developing and East European countries. Although, prima facie, the practice of land grabbing could be considered in compliance with the exercise of permanent sovereignty of States over natural resources, the phenomenon hides several dark sides, to the point that some commentators have raised the risk of the emergence of a new colonialism. Particularly worrying is the dubious compatibility of this practice with current international law norms and, specifically, with the principle of self-determination. Starting from the normative meaning of the latter, examined in its economic dimension, this paper aims at investigating its potential applicability to the particular case, both in terms of the subjects entitled to exercise the right of self-determination and the existence of protection tools available to the beneficiaries.