In defense of land rights: A monitoring report on land conflicts in six Asian countries 114 Plantation investments involve the use of land for agricultural production. There were three (3) modes through which plantation investments were undertaken: (1) engagement in Agribusiness Venture Agreements (AVAs); (2) land grabbing by a company from a community; and, (3) engagement with tenant farmers as hired labor. Data revealed 101 conflicts associated with plantation investments. Of these cases, 99 were for cash crops such as oil palm (47), banana (36), pineapple (8), and, others (9). More than 118,000 hectares of land are being contested under this conflict category. The impacts of AVAs were felt by farmers who entered into unfair contracts with agribusiness companies. The nine cases of land grabs in agribusiness investments were all in ancestral domains – all of which involved the military. These cases of land grabbing resulted in the killing of 16 IPs, the disappearance of six, and the detainment of one. Further, four cases of land grabs resulted in the displacement of an estimated 4,800 families. Two of the plantations have current proposals for expansion, threatening the displacement of an additional 400 families. Mining or extraction investments involve earth-moving activities to gather raw materials. There are 44 cases covering 450,470 hectares of land. Of the 44 cases, 29 are extraction investments for metals, seven for coal, five for sand/gravel, and one for natural gas. Extraction investments are among the most violent, with 15 conflict cases resulting in fatalities. An estimated 16,000 farming and fishing livelihoods were also compromised, exacerbating poverty and food insecurity in rural communities. It must be noted, though, that since the suspensions of mining activities ordered by the former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez, violence has declined. ANGOC As for infrastructure investments, 40 cases have been found, covering 188,791 hectares of contested area. Eighteen of the conflict cases involved private infrastructure investments and twenty two were public or government infrastructure investments. Private investments account for 26,794 hectares of land, while public investment constitutes 161,997 hectares of contested land. Of the 18 private infrastructure investments, seven are in power generation, seven in real estate, three in tourism and one in industry. For the public infrastructure investments, five are for water systems; three for economic zones; two each for power, residential and government buildings; and one each for road, school, landfill, and tourism. Infrastructure investments often lead to land use changes that are irreversible. Such changes become the precursors for further land use changes in adjacent areas often brought about by industrialization and urbanization.