Citadel's Karim Sadek dismisses talk of land grabbing as an “academic concern”, saying “there should definitely be a priority for the produce to be sold on the local market, if there is a paying market for it”.
Ukraine has abundant land resource, only ten per cent of which is currently controlled by corporations.
"EAC Partner States should resist the leasing or selling of large chunks of land to foreign entities for production of food or bio-fuel feedstock solely for export, which will be disadvantageous to food security in the region" says the East African Legislative Assembly
More radical steps are being taken to increase production, both by the government, which recently approved two new strains of genetically modified rice, and by agricultural entrepreneurs, who are buying and cultivating land in neighbouring countries.
The lack of systematic collection of data and categorising private and official investments from the Gulf has made it difficult to reach an accurate estimate of total investments, made so far.
Educating the peasant movement is a key to genuine land reform implementation and the position of peasant movements as strong political bases against land grabbing in the future.
"What Karuturi is doing is what Africa needs, wants and deserves," says Ram Karuturi. Yet 400 Ethiopians have signed a petition saying they received no compensation after being evicted from land taken over by Karuturi.
"Despite a December 23, 2009, Interfax press report that President Nazarbayev instructed the prosecutors to punish those who disseminate information about the sale of land to foreigners, opposition leaders have continued to advocate against the transfer of land to China," reports the US Embassy in Astana
The land sale moratorium has been extended until 1 January 2012.
Following Brazil's trail, Indonesia is encouraging foreign and local investors to lease huge swathes of fertile countryside and help make the country a major food producer.
Bill Law investigates the causes and consequences of the great global land grab. Tonight, episode one in Kenya.
Saudi Star Agricultural Development Plc, the newest food growing company formed by Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi, is to acquire 100,000sqm of land in Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) this week, its senior official disclosed.
