Sierra Leone

El escenario propuesto por el responsable de la FAO en Sudán del Sur, choca de frente con el masivo acaparamiento de tierras en el continente, que está ayudando a la gente a abandonar las actividades agrícolas, ganaderas y de otro tipo en las que basan sus medios de subsistencia.

Swedfund, the Swedish development investment company, has invested tens of millions in a company that will produce ethanol in Sierra Leone, but the local people affected by water shortages and hunger when the company took over their land. Now the inhabitants urge Sweden for help.

Biståndsminister Gunilla Carlsson vill att Swedfund öppet delar med sig av resultaten, när organisationen själv granskar situationen i Sierra Leone. Efter Ekots rapportering, om att biståndsorganisationens investeringar i landet orsakar vattenbrist och hunger för fattiga, ska Swedfund besöka landet och se över de investeringar som gjorts i ett etanolprojekt.

Between April 1-4, 2012, farmers, small land owners, women, youth, and elders assembled in Freetown to have their voices heard and strategize a way forward.

Farmers and activists are increasing pressure on the government to be more transparent about large-scale land deals with foreign firms and to make sure local communities benefit

Meeting of delegates from eight districts and twenty chiefdoms affected by large scale land acquisitions for agribusiness in Sierra Leone ends with formation of a coalition to serve as a watchdog on land issues in the country.

Une conférence nationale en Sierra Léone est parvenue à une recommandation pour la formation d’une Coalition de la Société Civile qui servirait de contrôleur des questions foncières dans le pays.

In yet another exposé of exploitative practices associated with large-scale land acquisitions, the Oakland Institute examines Socfin Agricultural Corporation Sierra Leone (Socfin), controlled by the powerful French corporate titan Vincent Bolloré

As more and more companies flock to the country to lease large tracts of land, murmurs of protest and unrest are cropping up among local populations who are unhappy with the way the deals are done.

The million dollar question begging for answer is whether the country is deriving any benefit from these investments?

So is it a land grab or a development opportunity? Is land grabbing actually good for Africa? BBC Africa Debate discusses the issue in Freetown in Sierra Leone.

This Friday, February 24th, BBC Africa will broadcast a debate from Freetown Sierra Leone on international farmland deals in Africa - or Land grabbing as it’s commonly known. Listeners can join the discussion on social media.