The economic nationalism and calls for protectionism seem ironic given the fact that Fonterra itself is a large multinational, which in addition to having farms in China, has since 2002 been in partnership with global food giant Nestle in the Dairy Partners Americas.
Director General of UNIDO: says land acquisition through foreign investors must be carefully considered and strictly scrutinized.
The Commission plans to launch a joint initiative with the African Union that will include a roadmap for the implementation of "sustainable large-scale investments in farmland".
The Kuwait-based firm aims to build on its base as the leading food company in the Middle East.
The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of Thailand Food Security Stockpile and Distribution Center and Industry with the Board of Trade of Thailand.
The fund is targeting individual investors and institutions as well as government-owned funds in the region, and will focus on the production of crops and livestock in Sudan and food processing in Egypt.
The Economist Intelligence Unit says that GCC investments in farmland abroad are needed to ensure food security, but must be structured carefully to avoid conflicts with host governments.
Southern Pastures, registered in Auckland, is seeking $500 million from local and offshore investors to initially buy outright, or controlling shares in, farming concerns throughout the southern hemisphere, but with a bias towards New Zealand.
Nigeria is offering to lease farmland to Gulf countries seeking food security and will allow investors to export all of their produce, the head of a private Nigerian agriculture consultancy firm said on Monday.
Even with new guidelines on land leases in Africa, the deals could lead to growing problems down the road, warned Emmy Simmons, a longtime USAID official
The Africa farms operator, whose company mission is to be "the largest agricultural producer in Africa", raised the cash from both institutions and private investors
The Indonesian government's plan to develop a food estate in Papua has come in for heavy criticism for potentially marginalizing small farmers and threatening the environment.
