October 10th, 2011
Courtesy of The Financial Times, a report of the fear arising over Chinese investment in Brazil’s agricultural sector: Few subjects are likely to raise hackles more quickly in Brazil than the idea of foreigners owning its natural resources. “The Chinese have bought Africa and now they’re trying to buy Brazil”, stormed Antônio Delfim Netto, a […]
Read more »The New East India Companies?
October 10th, 2011
Via Outlook India, an interesting article looking at the impact of Indian companies acquiring millions of hectares in Africa: “…Reports of Indian firms farming large tracts of land acquired in faraway countries like Uruguay and Madagascar have so far been convincingly sold as success stories showcasing an emerging India flexing its economic muscle. But there […]
Read more »October 8th, 2011
Courtesy of Spiegel Online, a detailed look at the financial markets’ discovery of the huge opportunities presented by agricultural commodities and the consequences of speculators driving up food prices globally: “…The room in which the world’s food is distributed looks everything but appetizing. Bits of paper and disposable cups litter the trading floor at the […]
Read more »Morgan Stanley Bet the Farm in Ukraine Before Taxpayers’ Bailout
October 8th, 2011
Via Bloomberg, an interesting article detailing Morgan Stanley’s Ukranian farmland investment in late 2007: Iowa native Justin Bruch marveled at the opportunity when Morgan Stanley (MS) called in late 2007 to recruit him for an unusual assignment. The New York bank, flush with $7.5 billion in fiscal 2006 profit — the biggest in its history […]
Read more »September 27th, 2011
Via China Dialogue, another look at the suspicious response to Huang Nubo’s bid to buy a chunk of Iceland’s wilderness and how it may reflect the dilemma Beijing’s expansive growth strategy poses with indebted western nations. As the article notes: “…Winds sweep across a highland plateau featuring little but coarse grass and volcanic rock. Dirty […]
Read more »Investor Appetite For Land
September 19th, 2011
Via MarketWatch, a report on continued investor interest in farmland: With food prices relatively strong even during recent market turmoil, investors remain keen for exposure to agriculture. One popular theme: investing in land. Bringing more land under cultivation is crucial to meeting global food demand, as crop yields stagnate. From 1990 to 2007, farmers squeezed […]
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