A senior government official in Serenje has urged the Zambia Development Agency to quicken the process of facilitating investment inflow in the 155,000-hectare Nansanga farm block in Central Province.

African nations like Zambia, Ethiopia and Mozambique invited Indian investors to invest in various sectors, especially in agriculture, saying this has the potential to provide food to both Africa and India.

Zambia's Vice-President Guy Scott calls on private companies in the country to invest in agriculture and commercialise the sector to boost production of more maize for export.

Chayton already produces 10% of Zambia's soya and 5% of the country's wheat. Over the next 12 months, production will increase to at least 35% and 15% respectively.

Neil Crowder of Chayton Capital tells the BBC that farming in Africa can be very profitable - just wait till you hear how much he expects investors will make. But will it also benefit Africans?

The six case studies compiled in this report illustrate the wide range of approaches and focus that private funds are adopting (legal structure, geography, agricultural production and operating strategies) to invest in farmland in different parts of the world.

As more and more fertile lands and rivers are in the hands of few investors, some villagers in southern Africa have started experiencing food shortages, a situation which was not there before.

Neil Crowder - CEO Chayton Africa presenting on Investing in Zambia's agriculture - Zambia Investment Forum London 2011

Research released today by the Oakland Institute demonstrates that land grabs--largely unregulated land deals involving foreign corporations and speculators--continue to be promoted as a "development" solution for African nations.

On 31 January 2012 in Dubai, 2nd Commercial Farm Africa features panel of experts and in-depth analysis on land utilization & investment policies in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Sudan, Namibia, Ghana and Ethiopia.

Legislation and practices aiming to safeguard customary land rights are largely failing to give real decision-making authority to communities affected by large-scale land acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa, says a recent report by the Center for International Forestry Research.

BBC film looks at large-scale industrial farming investments in Zambia.