When does conflict arise between foreign investors and local communities in agricultural land acquisitions?

Today a significant size of land in developing countries has been acquired by foreign investors for their large-scale agricultural projects. Because the land is directly linked with the livelihood of rural communities, these investments are particularly prone to conflict. I investigate when such conflict arises focusing on economic and political institutions. An analysis of cross-border land acquisitions from 2000 to 2019 shows that conflict is likely under liberal economic institutions that promote business activities, and this pattern is positively moderated by democratic institutions of both host and home countries that facilitate collective actions especially when inequality is low. These results suggest that rural communities are not only passively affected but also strategically active in choosing to engage in conflict. LINK