February 2nd, 2022
Via The Conversation, an article on how Brazil’s government is turning public land private, clearing the way for deforestation: Imagine that several state legislators decide that Yellowstone National Park is too big. Also imagine that, working with federal politicians, they change the law to downsize the park by a million acres, which they sell in a private[…]
Read more »China’s Ownership of U.S. Farmland
January 31st, 2022
Via Dim Sums, commentary on China’s ownership of U.S. farmland: There was one new Chinese investment in U.S. farmland in 2020, according to the USDA’s latest report on foreign farmland holdings–not exactly a “land grab.” The USDA report said 194,179 acres of farmland held by “China” was valued at $1.86 billion at the end of December 2020.[…]
Read more »January 28th, 2022
Courtesy of Foreign Policy, an article on how food price spikes and revolutions could emerge if Ukrainian grain deliveries are disrupted: With some of the most fertile land on Earth, Ukraine has been known as Europe’s breadbasket for centuries. Its fast-growing agricultural exports—grains, vegetable oils, and a host of other products—are crucial to feeding populations from[…]
Read more »Firm Grabs Slice Of Local Banana Pie With Titanic $51M Venture
January 26th, 2022
Via Phnom Penh Post, an article on firms purchasing Cambodian agricultural land: Longfruiter Anlong Veng Oddor Meanchey Agriculture Park Co Ltd has invested $51 million in the cultivation of bananas and fruits in Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province to boost exports, especially to the Chinese market, according to Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries[…]
Read more »October 14th, 2021
Via Africa As A Country, commentary on why – more than a decade since the surge in large-scale land acquisitions worldwide – many land deals remain in limbo: Violence against land rights defenders in Uganda and anti-mine protesters in South Africa. Oil palm plantations razing forests in Liberia and the island of São Tomé. Industrial waste from sugarcane plantations polluting the[…]
Read more »Cambodia’s Great Koh Kong Land Rush
October 8th, 2021
Via Mongabay, an article on a land grab in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province that is taking land from protected areas: In July, conservationists in Cambodia sounded the alarm over a regulation that saw eight protected areas in Koh Kong province collectively lose territory twice the size of Phnom Penh, the country’s capital. Officials said the move,[…]
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