Senegal

Because of the political sensitivity of the modern-day land grab, it is often only the country's head of state who knows the details. Der Spiegel investigates.

Ouyang Riping, PDG d’une société agricole chinoise, a une mission : transformer le Sénégal en grenier à sésame… pour la Chine ! Dakar lui cède 60 000 hectares pour cultiver et exporter le sésame vers Pékin. En échange, les chinois apprennent aux paysans sénégalais à obtenir deux récoltes de riz par an. Coopération originale ou marché de dupes ?

Abdulaye Wade says there is nothing wrong with leasing land: Saudi Arabia is already in Senegal and China is close to a deal with farmers' groups to use 100,000 ha for growing peanuts.

La FAO s’inquiète des violations des droits des paysans que ces accaparements de terres peuvent entraîner, et s’interroge sur la participation des populations locales aux bénéfices générés. Mais elle y voit avant tout une perspective de développement. Au profit de qui ?

India, once the colonial jewel of Britain's empire, has been accused of 'neo-colonialism' in Africa where its business people have joined a race with China, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere to buy up agricultural estates and take advantage of cheap labour.

Carl Atkin, Head of Research at Bidwells Agribusiness looks at the recent interest in 'strategic food security' and the associated 'land grab' by Middle Eastern Corporations and Governments in countries as diverse of Sudan, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

De Schutter said that instead of ceding millions of hectares to foreign investors, by sale or on long-term leases, the possibility of contract farming should be explored.

The European Union is coercing some West African governments into allowing European-based fishing companies to deplete West Africa’s fishing stocks in a new "food colonialism" that is now taking place between rich and poor countries around the world, according to British author George Monbiot.

A cash-strapped Pakistani government plans to sell or rent one million acre land to foreign countries for agricultural purposes in a bid to underpin the country’s troubled economy. “A complete legal cover will be provided to the investors so that even in case of the change of government, they should not be affected.”

En novembre 2008, Ouyang Riping, le PDG de la société agricole DTE était en visite au Sénégal. Reçu en grande pompe par Abdoulaye Wade, ils ont célébré “l’amitié sino-sénégalaise” lors d’une cérémonie officielle. En résulte un accord de production : la Chine devrait produire au Sénégal plusieurs tonnes de sésame dans les années à venir.

Chinese companies are lining up to invest in African agriculture, but governments like Senegal must do more to limit the risks for investors, a veteran Chinese investor said.

Ouyang Riping, investisseur privé chinois, finance au Sénégal la production de 150 000 tonnes de sésame sur 60 000 ha d'emblavures d'ici 2013, à raison de 30 000 tonnes chaque année, à partir de 2008.