Philippines

Land deals, whether as direct purchases or long-term leases, are being brokered in poor countries by advanced capitalist countries and their TNCs

Investors are taking advantage of cheap land resources from poorer countries whose populations are even more food insecure.

Efforts must be made to ensure that foreign access to local agricultural lands follow strict guidelines

Groups in the Philippines call on the government to review agreements with foreign investors allowing a lease of agricultural lands for food and biofuel production.

Farmers say land deal will nullify their long-standing efforts for land distribution.

Some projects aimed at increasing food production in Asia have been dropped or delayed amid the financial crisis, notes a new report by IRRI and the Asia Society.

The Philippine government has identified 10,000 ha for the Bahrain banana project in Davao del Norte. It also awaits follow-up visits from Saudi Arabia to finalize a $238.6m deal the kingdom committed to invest in fruit, aquaculture and halal food production.

Saudi and UK investors will travel to the Philippines in October to discuss "the possibility of food production in southern Philippines, with the government providing them the needed land".

A group of food security advocates wants a Philippine government-led corporation that identifies new land suitable for local and foreign agricultural businesses abolished.

ANI is one of the few accredited companies that have the capacity and license to export fresh mango to Japan and Korea.

State-backed food producing and marketing giant, Hassad Food Company, has plans to produce rice in India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Discussions are at a standstill after investors, a joint Arab-foreign company based in the Philippines, insist on owning the lands allocated by the Sudanese government to Jordan for the project,