"We found little evidence that such large-scale acquisitions have helped to provide food and jobs to the local population. More than three quarters of the deals are yet to demonstrate improvements in agricultural output," says the chair of a UN high-level panel of experts on land tenure and international investment in agriculture

Agrifirma, a private investment company backed by financier Lord Rothschild, transferred around half of its assets to a new joint venture with Brazilian private equity firm BRZ Investimentos.

The world's largest commodities trader Glencore International AG is evaluating a bid for KS Oils, a leading Indian edible oil firm that has recently been acquiring farmland in Indonesia

It's become known as the global land grab. More and more wealthy countries are buying up agricultural land in the developing world in at attempt to hedge against high food prices.

Foreign investment is being sought to develop projects on 5 million hectares of land that has been identified for sugar production.

"The desire of foreign monopoly capitalists in the US to acquire lands in PH is an open book. It is not a best kept secret. The monopolists in the US also want 100 percent ownership of other profitable sectors in the Philippines including but not limited to mining, eco-tourism, energy, public utilities, mass media, oil and gas, health and education."

Major Thai producer among businesses facing land-grab allegations in Cambodia's lucrative sugar industry.

In Guatemala, land is fiercely disputed, especially by agribusiness interests keen on expanding export crops like sugar cane and African oil palm.

Oakland Institute report exposes how a controversial hydroelectric project in Ethiopia's Omo Valley is facilitating the take over of 350,000 ha of land for sugar cane and cotton plantations and resulting in state-sponsored human rights violations.

As global agricultural companies turn to Africa, a U.S. firm, Herakles Farms, is planning a massive oil palm plantation (60 000 ha) in Cameroon

"We are in negotiations with several foreign investment funds that are interested in buying thousands of hectares of Romanian farmland,” says analyst with DTZ Echinox.

Indian companies acquire land in Africa at throw away prices to ensure India's food security. Prof Jayati Ghosh analyses the issue and offers alternative solutions.