Russia

Agacpita President Steven Johnston explains the philosophy of investing in farmland

A British entrepreneur is leasing land from smallholders in an attempt to revive the breadbasket of the former Soviet Union

Alpcot Agro is currently in control of 128,800 hectares of arable land in Russia and wants to control 200,000 hectares by the end of 2008.

Landkom has leased 165,000 acres from thousands of landowners in Ukraine and will reap its first big harvest this year.

China's fast-growing farm corporations may be the next wave of Chinese investors in Australia, joining their already influential mining comrades.

Chongqing Seed Corp has decided to cultivate rice on 300 hectares in Tanzania from 2009

The worldwide food shortage has spurred enthusiasm among Chinese enterprises to invest in overseas agriculture sectors. South America and Russia are likely to become the new destinations for agricultural investments from China.

Hedge funds and investment banks are swapping their Gucci for gumboots as they bet on rising food prices by buying farms.

President Lee Myung-bak said that one possible way to secure grain supplies from overseas would be to sign a long-term land lease. The President specifically pointed to the Russian Far East.

Japan has steadily prepared for food security by buying 12 million hectares of croplands around the world, from Southeast Asia and China to South America. By comparison, the amount of Korea’s overseas croplands is negligible.