Thailand

Rice farmers dig in over foreigners' land
- Bangkok Post
- 25 May 2008
The Thai Farmers Association called on concerned agencies yesterday to look into land occupation by foreign businessmen, which has made many of the country's rice farmers landless.
Thaksin's rice plan angers local farmers
- Bangkok Post
- 23 May 2008
Farmers and activists have opposed a plan for a business consortium from Saudi Arabia to invest in rice farming in Thailand. The scheme is said to be the creation of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Farmers fear they could lose their livelihood and rice farming could be held hostage by foreign investors.
Food crisis may divide Middle East's oil haves, have-nots
- Bloomberg
- 17 May 2008
“Buying farms is not a bad thing,” Panos Konandreas, acting director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Geneva, said in a telephone interview. “If you are like Saudi Arabia and have all the resources in the world, you can help farms optimize their strategies and there will be more production.”
Saudi Arabia looking to invest in rice
- Bangkok Post
- 16 May 2008
Investors in Saudi Arabia, one of the world's top rice buyers, are looking for joint ventures with Thai partners to invest in rice farming in Thailand and Africa.
Saudi Arabia moves agriculture abroad
- Market Research Analyst
- 12 May 2008
Saudi government moves agriculture abroad by investing in farming of staple commodities in Thailand, Brazil, India and other countries. This move represents a classic case of “absolute advantage” economy.
Food Fight: Wealthy nations buying up land for food
- Marketplace / American Public Media
- 09 May 2008
This week, Saudi Arabia announced plans to invest in overseas fisheries, livestock and food production, and is reportedly trying to partner with Thai rice farms to lock in future supplies. Libya is in talks with Ukraine about growing wheat there, and as China tries to feed its expanding middle class, it’s looking to buy up farmland in Africa and South America.