Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the government has so far not requested for any input from the Foreign Office regarding interest shown by foreign parties to lease Pakistani land for agriculture. “But if my ministry is asked for its input, then I would not oppose this move completely."
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), alarmed at the way governments and private corporations are buying farmland in developing countries, plans to present international guidelines to protect local people and farmers from what some have dubbed "neo-colonialism".
Whilst Mali’s government declares its commitment to guaranteeing food self-sufficiency for the country, it continues to sign a worrying number of agreements with foreign investors. A report from Via Campesina.
The problem is that we will lose control. Of course, some regulatory framework will be put in place, but it will also include ceding of control over our land resource to foreigners for a yet-to-be-specified time period.
A conference to discuss ways of boosting agricultural production in Africa will be held in Zanzibar later this month
Putin's latest land reform legislation could lead to over 400mn hectares of crop acreage being sold.
A group of private Saudi investors said they plan to start a company with $533.3 million capital that will invest in farm projects mainly abroad. First projects may be with Ghana, Turkey and Kazakhstan.
Saudi Arabia announces the launch of Agroinvest, which will focus on farm acquisitions abroad to grow wheat, rice, soybeans and other crops in Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan and Turkey
The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has launched a venture aiming to invest in food production worldwide focusing on the acquisition and development of existing agribusiness companies rather than the lease of large tracts of farmland.
An internal document recently posted on IRRI's website reveals that the Institute has been advising Saudi Arabia in the context of its strategy to acquire farm land overseas for its own food production.
South Africa is joining a “green rush” for the African continent. The Republic of the Congo has offered Agri SA 10-million hectares for South African farmers to produce maize and soya beans as well as to establish dairy and poultry farms.
Agricultural experts have called for a halt to moves by Gulf investors to snap up foreign land, amid claims that poor nations are losing much-needed farmland in a calculated land grab.
