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Water: Sin aqua non
- The Economist
- 08 April 2009
THE overthrow of Madagascar’s president in mid-March was partly caused by water problems — in South Korea.
Saudi investors to put $100 mln into Ethiopia farm
- Reuters
- 06 April 2009
A group of private Saudi investors plans to invest 375 million riyals to plant wheat, barley and rice in Ethiopia
UN's Right to Food expert calls for hedge fund restraints, notes Madagascar coup
- Inner City Press
- 06 April 2009
All hedge funds that trade in food commodities should be required to register, the UN’s expert on the right to food Olivier De Schutter told the Press on Monday. Index derivatives should be prohibited and only “useful trading… hedging not speculation” should be allowed, in order to protect the poor and hungry from the market.
G8 warns of hunger threat to stability
- Financial Times
- 06 April 2009
The world faces a permanent food crisis and global instability unless countries act now to feed a surging population by doubling agricultural output, a report drafted for ministers of the Group of Eight nations has warned.
Congo-Brazzaville beckons local farmers
- Farmers Weekly
- 06 April 2009
Congo-Brazzaville offers free irrigation land to South African farmers exclusively for 99 years. Six government farms of 135 000ha in the Niarri Valley and another 10?million hectares have also been made available.
Gulf investors target Africa
- MEED
- 03 April 2009
African states have actively encouraged Gulf investors into areas like agriculture, seeing them as a useful counterweight to China’s influence.
Zambia's opposition condemns reported Chinese biofuels project
- DPA
- 02 April 2009
The deal would be the biggest lease of land in the country, which faces food shortages following severe flooding and drought during last year’s growing season.
Korea to Encourage Companies to Farm Abroad to Ensure Supplies
- Bloomberg
- 02 April 2009
South Korea, Asia’s second-biggest grain importer, will lend money and give technology to companies to develop farms overseas to ensure the nation’s food security after prices surged last year.
Thais eye Nigerian rice plantations
- The Nation
- 01 April 2009
Capital Rice and Asia Golden Rice, both in Thailand, recently formed a business alliance with the Stallion Group, Nigeria's largest conglomerate, to supply rice to this major African market. The next step is to export rice-planting know-how and invest in Nigerian farmland.
Seychelles cancels hotel over food security fears
- The Guardian
- 01 April 2009
The Seychelles has cancelled a large new hotel development that was to be have been built on prime agricultural land, following strong objections from local residents worried about food security.
Agri-Vie bullish on farming in Africa
- Business Report
- 30 Mar 2009
The global food shortage coupled with vast tracts of surplus arable land in Africa made the continent the world's greatest farming opportunity, Avril Stassen, an investment adviser for Agri-Vie's $100 million (R957 million) agribusiness private equity fund, said last week.
RP, Bahrain sign $300-m farm investment package
- Manila Standard
- 30 Mar 2009
The Philippines has signed a $300-million investment agreement with Bahrain to establish agro-fishery businesses in the country.