Two years ago, the Sarhad Chamber of Agriculture, NWFP, Pakistan was contacted by investors from the Gulf states through a letter showing interest in acquiring farmlands on lease under the corporate farming being introduced by the government.

Saudi-based National Agricultural Development Co (Nadec) said on Sunday it has completed procedures to obtain a 42,000-hectare farmland in Sudan.

Minerals Energy Commodities Holding (MEC) is in talks with Indonesia to lease 100,000 ha of farmland in East Kalimantan for UAE's food security.

Leopard Capital's second Cambodian fund is expected to continue investment in agriculture, as well as potentially including investment in Laos.

There are some 17 private equity funds expecting to invest $2bn-odd in agriculture in Africa in the next two years.

Listening to Susan Payne you could be forgiven for thinking land funds are a holy grail for the ethical investor: money-making opportunities with a sanctifying air of do-goodery.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the GTZ have published a new study on FDI in land in developing countries.

A total of 16 state farms have been leased, and 15 000 ha identified for leasing, to both local and foreign investors, says Botswana's Minister of Finance

South Korea's state-run agriculture trading corporation says that it aims to set up an international grain purchasing and distribution company that can invest directly in foreign farms or control stakes in agricultural operations.

The companies the $100 million fund will target will be those involved with agrichemicals, equipment and infrastructure, as well as soft commodities and food, biofuels, forestry, agricultural sciences and arable land.

The Pontal project has 30.000 ha of total area, with 8.000 ha irrigable. It will have a huge impact since it will be the first PPP of Lula government and will settle the framework for another 500.000 hectares.

"The People's Republic of China (PRC) is encouraging Chinese private enterprises to invest heavily in Sudan's agriculture sector, Lee "Ali" Wei Zheng, Commercial Officer for the Chinese Embassy, told PolEconOff February 3," reports the US Embassy in Khartoum