A former Swiss banker, now turned farming investor in Romania, has sold 601 hectares of land in Timis county, making a 50% profit.

The EU is currently witnessing a massive land grab, which has a direct impact on 25 million of its citizens, changing the way lands are being managed and how food is being produced.

What is the underlying rational for an Italian insurance company to invest in farmland in Romania?

Auch österreichische Akteure mischen im Wettlauf um Land mit und eignen sich im großen Stil Land in Rumänien, Serbien und Ungarn an. Die Bäuerinnen und Bauern vor Ort profitieren vom Investitionsboom kaum, ganz im Gegenteil.

Businesses and wealthy oligarchs have taken ownership over huge tracts of agricultural land, and pushed into poverty a large number of smallholders.

Investisseurs chinois, russes, fonds de pension: de plus en plus de terres agricoles passent aux mains d'investisseurs et échappent aux agriculteurs français, faisant courir un risque pour la souveraineté alimentaire, s'alarment les Safer.

A third of Romania’s fertile land is now owned by Italian, Danish, German, Norwegian, Dutch, Hungarian and Lebanese citizens.

US investment fund Anholt Investment bought the Agraria Nord and Arland farms in Botosani county, Romania.

Due to the high cost of land back home, lack of credit, and a paralyzing bureaucracy, Italian farmers are moving from Italy to Ro­mania where it is easier to start a farm.

En vue de protéger les intérêts nationaux, le Parlement roumain a adopté au début de ce mois la loi 17/2014 concernant l’achat-vente des terrains agricoles. Les non européens (sociétés ou citoyens) continueront de ne pas pouvoir acheter en direct.

Paradis agricole, la Roumanie est de plus en plus convoitée par les investisseurs étrangers, au risque de voir ses terres arables lui échapper.

Worldwide, farmland is a hot investment area, but it’s also controversial, opaque, illiquid and sometimes relies on local operation that presents a risk of fraud.