While Qatar has adopted a more indirect approach to its foreign agricultural investment and increased domestic production of some food products, it is unlikely that it will be able to significantly reduce its dependence on foreign food supplies in the long term.

According to asset managers, a window is emerging for institutional money to flow into agriculture due to change of ownership, notably in markets such as Australia and the US.

The government of Brunei offering heavily subsidised land for rent to both locals and foreigners. 300 hectares of government-owned agricultural land have been given out over the past two years as part of state efforts to fuel growth of agriculture industry.

Apart from its own 3000 acre (1200ha) farm, Zhong's Industries Ltd plans to also use the out-grower model where millions of acres of land will be opened up for rice farming across the country.

A UNIDROIT Working Group is currently developing, in collaboration with FAO and IFAD, a future Legal Guide on Agricultural Land Investment Contracts. The online consultation on the ALIC Zero Draft is open from 1 June until 30 September 2019.

Indonesia has published its first ever map of customary forests, in a move it says to prevent land grabs by businesses and resolve existing conflicts.But indigenous rights activists are unconvinced, saying land recognition process for local communities continues to be hampered by onerous bureaucratic requirements.

Australia’s big four banks; ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac are financing companies accused of land grabs, deforestation and labour abuses in developing countries according to a new report by Friends of the Earth Australia.

Alfred Brownell had to flee Liberia after challenging the powerful palm oil and other extractive industries that were clearing its forests.

The sell-down of northern grazing assets continues for Terra Firma’s Consolidated Pastoral Co, with a deal announced today to sell its Ucharonidge station in the Northern Territory to Malcolm Harris’s Cleveland Agriculture.

Bank of America’s Specialty Asset Management group manages more than 94,000 assets with a value of $13.6 billion for individuals and institutions looking for timberland, farms, ranches, energy interests, or real estate.

Sunbird Bioenergy, after the recent change of management, is set to produce sugar for the local market in Sierra Leone and for export to neighboring countries

Giant dam and irrigated sugar plantations mean people in lower Omo valley face starvation and conflict, says US thinktank