December 4th, 2023
Via Stateline, a look at how – as foreigners buy up American agricultural land – U.S. lawmakers want to keep certain countries out: Andy Gipson gets concerned even when American allies such as the Netherlands and Germany invest in large swaths of Mississippi’s farmland. “It just bothers me at a gut level,” he said. For Gipson, […]
Read more »Russia Woos Africa With Free Grain, Fertilizer Research Funding
November 29th, 2023
Via Bloomberg, a look at Russia’s use of free grain and subsidized agricultural-related research to generate international political support: Somalia, Burkina Faso set to receive first grain shipments Billionaire Melnichenko backs study for ex-South Africa leader Russian shipments of donated grain are due to begin landing in Africa within days, giving fresh impetus to its […]
Read more »November 22nd, 2023
Via CNN, a report that a UAE company has secured African land the size of the UK to be used to ‘offset’ the nation’s big carbon footprint: In late September, Zimbabwe’s environment minister signed away control over a staggering amount of land — almost 20% of his country — to a little-known foreign company. Blue Carbon was […]
Read more »80 Million Hectares of Additional Cropland Needed; Igniting a “Race for Prime Spots”
November 17th, 2023
Via Just Food, news of a new McKinsey report that almost 80m hectares of additional cropland will needed to sustain global food demand: An extra 70 to 80 million hectares of cropland is required in the next seven years to meet the growing demand for food and feed worldwide, according to research from McKinsey. Such […]
Read more »November 13th, 2023
Via Middle East Eye, a report that Blue Carbon has signed a series of deals with African countries for carbon offset projects covering a total area of 24.5 million hectares: Dubai-based firm Blue Carbon has signed a framework of collaboration (FOC) with Kenya’s State Department of Environment and Climate Change that would concede “millions of hectares” of its territory for the production of carbon […]
Read more »Sand Mafias Battle for the New Gold
November 9th, 2023
Via Nautil.us, a look at how violent gangsterism and illegal operations dominate sand mining in the global south. Last week, two mafia groups in northeast India exchanged gunfire—and torched a half dozen earthmover machines—in a war over a natural resource. They weren’t battling over diamonds or oil: The groups were both trying to get their hands […]
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