Report calls upon governments, civil society and corporate investors to ensure that large-scale investments in agriculture, like the acquisition of land by private companies and funds, are transparent, accountable, socially beneficial and environmentally sustainable.
Forum condemns any practices consisting in grabbing natural resources (land, water, forests...) and granting them to agro-industrial stakeholders who are threatening the development of family farms' potential.
Many of the world’s biggest pension funds as well as family offices of wealthy individuals –looking for diversification and steady returns in times of market volatility– have been pouring money into farmlands, writes Kelvins Tan
Ospraie Management, the famous commodities hedge fund, is still long on farmland because it has actual cash flow. Many pension funds are now buying farmlands, reports Bloomberg.
The question of how farmers will feed the world while adjusting to changing weather patterns appears to have been sidelined at the climate talks in Doha even as this year's crippling drought in the US sent grain prices to record highs.
The wave of fund investment in farmland has reached only a fraction of its potential, even after hitting up to $40bn, with the potential to hit $1,000bn as it gains a "natural home" in portfolios.
Invitation to participate to the Rangelands Observatory - to enhance informed and participatory decision-making on land use and investments in rangelands.
Agricultural land represents an $8.4 trillion market, of which institutional investors own about $30 billion to $40 billion, according to Macquarie Agricultural Funds Management.
As losses from Karuturi's Ethiopian farm operations mount, over 3,000 workers from the company's flower farm in Kenya down their tools to protest non-payment of their salaries and poor working conditions.
Aggrieved landowners and land-users in Malen Chiefdom, Pujehun, call on Human Rights Commission to intervene against human rights violations by Paramount Chief and chiefdom authorities in Socfin operation area.
More Chinese companies and individuals are looking for sources of growth in the rich land of Russia's Far East region.
The results of pension funds’ alternative investments have been passable so far. In the case of farmland, at the end of last year the average total annual return over a 10 year period was more than 10%.
