Liberia

Le géant agro-industriel ivoirien Sifca a réalisé à quelques semaines d'intervalle deux opérations majeures dans le caoutchouc (22 000 ha) et l’huile de palme (8 800 ha).

The world's biggest listed palm oil firm, is on the lookout for more land, in a move sure to fuel the global grab for arable land as food prices remain high.

Report provides legal analysis of twelve land deals from different parts of Africa, and discusses the contractual issues for which public scrutiny is most needed.

The lure of cheap land and the promise of making big money are making local farmers and NRIs invest in African countries like Liberia and Ethiopia, whose economies were wrecked by the civil wars.

The company was granted a 220,000 ha concession in Liberia in 2009 and will begin planting oil palm on 10,000 hectares in April.

Signed on January 21, 2011

Locals in Liberia accuse company of illegally clearing their land and of poor labor and environmental practices.

Indian businessman also has major stakes in farmland investors Ruchi Soya, KS Oils and Equitorial Palm Oil.

Singapore-listed Golden Agri Resources said it was “actively evaluating” taking a share in a 220,000-hectare project being offered by the government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

The UK-based EPO has almost 170,000 ha of land suitable for sustainable crude palm oil cultivation and its aim is to be a 100,000 ha producer with output totalling 250,000 tonnes per annum.

Liberia conference decries the negative impacts from the increasing amount of land being targeted for large scale monoculture plantation in Africa in recent years.

"Here’s what I’m sure of: these deals will make the rich richer and the poor poorer, creating clear winners who benefit while the losers are denied their livelihoods."