Standard Bank

Global Witness exposes how more than 300 banks and investors back six of the world’s most harmful agribusinesses to the tune of $44bn

Almost 70% of all concluded and planned Saudi investments in offshore agriculture are in Africa, according to a new report from Standard Bank

The overall objective of this report is to identify potential interventions to enhance the capacity of newly created private equity funds in agriculture and/or agribusiness in Africa, especially the stimulation of technical assistance to agricultural value chains.

Other countries believe their agricultural expertise can kickstart an agrarian revolution across the African continent

South African farmers moving to neighbouring African states are not putting SA’s food security under threat, says Willie du Plessis, a director of agricultural banking at Standard Bank.

Standard Bank Plc has affirmed its commitment to finance agriculture in Africa over a long term because Africa has vast stretch of arable lands. Additionally, the bank intends to improve food security and eliminate hunger in the world.

African governments need to raise their level of accountability and ensure that they improve and protect their own food security through quid pro quo side-agreements negotiated when they lease or sell their arable land to foreign interests, says Keith Mullin of Thompson Reuters

Standard Bank plans to finance more land deals involving South African farmers seeking expansion opportunities across the continent to grow export crops, the bank said on Friday.

A South African farmers group said on Friday it had received fresh offers from African states, including Sudan and Mozambique, to invest in agriculture to grow export crops and some of the deals will be concluded soon.

Capital flows into Africa, include farmland acquisitions by foreign investors, rose 16 percent in 2008 to a record $62 billion even as FDI that year fell 20 percent worldwide

Devenu une puissance agricole mondiale majeure, le plus grand pays d’Amérique du Sud veut faire bénéficier l’Afrique de son expertise dans l’exploitation des ressources agricoles et y transposer son modèle au nom d’une solidarité Sud-Sud.

The ministerial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation met in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, last week, attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and representatives of more than 300 Chinese companies.