Felda Global plans to use the bulk of its proceeds to snap up more plantations in Southeast Asia and Africa and boost its refining and market business in its bid to become a peer to Archer-Daniel Midlands and Cargill by 2020.

A ten-acre plantation of oil palm, cola nuts, coffee and cacao has been completely destroyed by employees of Socfin Agricultural Company S.L. in Malen Chiefdom, Pujehun District, Sierra Leone.

India is among the top 10 nations to acquire land in both domestic and transnational deals, according to a report released this month by the Washington-based World Watch Institute

The company’s expansion plans -- 50% of IPO proceeds will be used to develop plantations in vulnerable areas in Africa, Indonesia and elsewhere -- are likely to trigger NGO protests and conflicts with local communities.

At an agriculture investment summit in London on Wednesday, leading U.S. and European pensions funds said few assets remained immune from whipsawing markets, prompting institutions to look at farmland.

Investors interested in buying land in Africa, have denied accusations that they are involved in landgrabs, insisting their practice is the only way to feed growing populations.

Fred Pearce, author of the new book The Land Grabbers: The New Fight over Who Owns the Earth, reports on how food shortages and price spikes are leading speculators and agribusiness interests to buy up vast tracts of land around the globe.

Farmland is "an obvious no-brainer choice for most pension funds," according to Savills director of residential research Yolande Barnes.

Laos will not allow any new investments in mining or grant further land concessions for rubber plantations until 2015 at the earliest, due to concerns about land encroachment and the environment

Joint statement released by more than 60 civil society organisations against the role of pension funds and other financial instutions in land grabbing

Not everyone is thrilled about the new breed of investors making a pure financial play on farmland in the US

International development and environment charities to protest against 'land grab' outside Agriculture Investment Summit