The government is in the process of revoking the contract entered by the Tanzania Investment Centre with an investment company, Agrisol, for lease of 10,000 hectares in Uvinza District, Kigoma Region
The ethics complaint was filed by the Des Moines-based citizen group, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, for misusing his membership on the Iowa Board of Regents that oversees Iowa's public universities to advance an "African land grab".
Group says regent abused position in pursuing relationship between Iowa State University and Ratsetter's agribusiness corporation, which is developing a farming operation in Tanzania.
Iowa Regent Bruce Rastetter has defended working with Iowa State Univ. to pursue a large-scale land development in Africa and blamed growing criticism over his involvement on misinformation and public relations mistakes.
Food & Water Watch has joined Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement’s ethics complaint against Iowa Regent Bruce Rastetter for egregious conflict of interest involving a Tanzania land deal he brokered in partnership with Iowa State University.
Des voix s’élèvent contre les prêts de terres de 99 ans à des sociétés étrangères. Les Tanzaniens se sentent ignorés par leur gouvernement…
AgriSol's land deal in Tanzania creates an uncertain future for more than 160,000 people
The AgriSol investment is a good case in justifying that in Tanzania it is the state which grabs on behalf of the investors as opposed in other areas where land is acquired illegally.
The US-based Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement say they want senior government officials involved in the deal investigated and prosecuted for accepting a deal that will be detrimental to the welfare of Tanzanians.
An ethics complaint being filed today alleges agribusiness investor Bruce Rastetter used his membership on a board that oversees Iowa’s public universities to advance a business venture involving Iowa State University.
Iowa State University is no longer an adviser on an agricultural project in Tanzania led by Iowa-based AgriSol Energy.
The people of Iowa — not to mention the refugees of Katumba, Tanzania — deserve an honest explanation for Iowa State University’s part in the AgriSol deal, and not just shameless denials.
