January 6th, 2011
Via Ethiomedia, a detailed look at Ethiopia’s position in the global farms race: “Given Ethiopia’s acute poverty status, its dependency on food aid, and the ever changing global economic context; there is no doubt that Ethiopia’s agricultural sector must change fundamentally, and there is no question that such a fundamental change requires sizable investment. Poor[…]
Read more »Land: The New International Strategic Asset
December 29th, 2010
Via Modern Ghana, an article on how land has become the new international strategic asset and how – in the report’s opinion – Africa is losing big time. As the article notes: There are credible reports that big multinational corporations like Biofuel Africa Ltd in cahoots with corrupt politicians and traditional leaders and with the[…]
Read more »December 29th, 2010
Via The Hindu, a report on the dramatic increase in foreign investment in land deals across Africa and a close look at the Malibya deal — a 50-year lease agreed by the Malian and Libyan Presidents — which has become totemic of the fear that this new phenomenon of land grabbing will deprive subsistence farmers[…]
Read more »Bangladesh Seeking Cambodian Land Concessions
December 28th, 2010
Via The Pnnom Penh Post , a report that Bangladesh is seeking to purchase 200,000 tonnes of Cambodia’s rice and has requested economic land concessions. As the article notes: “…After the meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Dipu Moni yesterday, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters the government of Bangladesh saw its food shortage problem as[…]
Read more »December 22nd, 2010
Courtesy of The New York Times, a report on the global land rush is gobbling up large expanses of arable land. As the article notes: Deals for farmland have involved many African nations The half-dozen strangers who descended on this remote West African village brought its hand-to-mouth farmers alarming news: their humble fields, tilled from[…]
Read more »Bangladesh: Looking Outward For Food Security
December 20th, 2010
Via The Financial Express, an interesting look at Bangladesh’s concerns about future food security and the indcation that it is trying to lease/buy agricultural resources in other countries. As the article notes: “…Land is a scarce as well as valuable resource in Bangladesh which is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. Demand for[…]
Read more »