[2012] DAMONTE, Gerardo. From Expropriation to Social Licence: Accessing Land for Extractive Industries. ELLA. Economic Development, Extractive Industries and Land Use, Policy Brief 1.

Gaining access to land with mineral and hydrocarbon resources can present a significant challenge. Experiences from Latin America show that direct land expropriation has been abandoned in favour of social licence, meaning securing community or individual agreement about the use of land for extractive activities. This brief describes the key factors that have enabled this transformation, and provides examples to illustrate the main social licence strategies in use in Latin America. Finally, the brief identifies key lessons from policy and practice that will be useful for other regions facing similar challenges.