August 20th, 2012
Via The Daily Mail, an interesting article on British imperialists snapping up large swathes of Africa: It is an odd retirement hobby. Britain’s top soldier, the former commander of British Land Forces and the man who capped his military career by presiding over the funeral of the Queen Mother, has been planting crops in the[…]
Read more »The Food Crisis Should Not Be Left To Cowboy Capitalists Or Pinstripe Farmers
August 15th, 2012
Via The Financial Times, some commentary on the impact of drought and markets on food production & availability: The worst US drought in half a century is further evidence that we are in the midst of a global food crisis. In 2007-08, there were riots in more than 20 countries, as the cost of commodities[…]
Read more »August 13th, 2012
Via Mother Jones, an interesting article on how the drought and rising food costs may lead to global social unrest: The Great Drought of 2012 has yet to come to an end, but we already know that its consequences will be severe. With more than one-half of America’s counties designated as drought disaster areas, the[…]
Read more »Scramble For Africa
August 13th, 2012
Via Leadership, an article on the scramble for African land: Just like more than two-thirds of the human body consists of water, the earth is 75 per cent water. Land is therefore a precious finite resource that is just a quarter of the earth’s surface. No wonder it has been a source of many conflicts[…]
Read more »August 3rd, 2012
Courtesy of Sustainable Security, a report on the global land rush: On May 11, the UN approved new international rules to govern how land is acquired abroad. These Voluntary Guidelines (VGs), the outcome of several years of protracted negotiations, are a response to growing global concern that nations and private investors are seizing large swaths[…]
Read more »Bangladesh To Lease Sudanese Farmland
August 3rd, 2012
Via The Daily Star, news that Bangladesh will lease Sudanese farmland: Bangladesh yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Sudan to take a 10-year lease on Sudanese farmland to grow crops aimed at ensuring food security of both the countries. Bangladesh and Sudan will jointly produce rice, lentil, oil, cotton and other crops[…]
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