"Most villagers think it’s great when they see investors, losing sight of the more strategic, agrarian and environmental dimensions of the land deals. This clashes with the views of civil society and social movements. How to close this gap is the challenge that should be confronted by engaged researchers and activists," says Jun Borras of ISS.
"Could you include info in the briefing for my trip about what's happening in Africa in general and in the three countries. I'm visiting in particular about the sale and leasing of farmland to foreign interests (China, Qatar, etc)?"
Across the Midwest, well-heeled outside investors are on the prowl to acquire the hard assets of US agribusiness, including farmland.
Subsidiary of Singapore's Wilmar pays $115m for Australia's largest sugar mill operator and plans to buy back former cane land now used for timber plantations to expand sugar production.
An international fact-finding team is in the country to investigate the alleged land-grabbing by Philippine, Japanese and Taiwanese companies of some 11,000 hectares from indigenous peoples in Isabela to build the biggest bio-ethanol project in the Philippines.
Final call for organisations to sign the Dakar Appeal against land grabbing before 15 June 2011!
Investors from South Korea have entered into discussions with the Ekiti State Government to invest in the agriculture sector in the state to the tune of about $400 million -- and 30,000 hectares.
A code of conduct developed by the African Development Bank that is being used as a guideline for investments by the African Agriculture Fund.
The G20 has proposed a twin track approach as the way forward comprising piloting the PRAI (first track) and using the lessons learned to inform a consultation process (second track).
Mauritius firm, British American Investment, it is planning to develop 6,000 hectares of land in Mozambique in partnership with Sun Biofuels
“We frankly told them, we had no land. They insisted we sign a Memorandum of Understating with them, a request we also refused. We only accepted to sign minutes of the meeting we held,” Mr Okasai of Uganda's agriculture ministry said.
Investors are thinking big when it comes to farmland purchases, reports Andrew Shirley in Knight Frank's Wealth Report 2011
