On the issue of land investments that are referred to by their critics as "land grabbing", Gates said: "It's not actually possible to grab the land. People don't put it on boats and take it back to the Middle East."
New data set documens 416 recent, large-scale land grabs by foreign investors for the production of food crops, covering nearly 35 million hectares of land in 66 countries.
The recent rush to acquire farmland in order to meet rising global demands for food and fuel is putting African countries at risk of bearing costs of global resource scarcity, says a new study by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
Survival uncovers shocking new evidence of human rights abuses against tribes in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, as government efforts to develop lucrative sugar cane plantations in the region intensify.
The growing insecurity and violence in Gambela, seen in the recent loss of human lives and attacks on government institutions, should be seen as a clear warning to investors about the dangers involved in large scale agricultural investments, says the Anywaa Survival Organisation.
Le phénomène d'accaparement des terres se multiplie et s'accentue à travers toutes les provinces du pays : du Katanga à l'Equateur, du grand Kivu à l'Orientale, en passant par les deux Kasaï, mettant à rude épreuve les populations locales
Promoting agricultural development in Africa and addressing the world's food security challenges requires investing in farmers - not in farmland, says Lorenzo Cotula.
African officials have called for greater equity and fairness in trade with the GCC countries that use agricultural land in Africa to feed their populations while famines continue to ravage the continent.
In an effort to improve food security, the government has been investing in agriculture projects abroad, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt, Pakistan, Romania, Sudan and the Americas, to secure food supplies and safeguard against market fluctuations.
Since food prices jumped in the period from 2006 to 2008, efforts to borrow land in the Russian Far East for agriculture have spread rapidly.
Al Ghurair Foods is acquiring 100,000 hectares of farmland in Sudan to grow grain, a move in line with the UAE's efforts to address food security concerns, according to company chairman Essa Abdullah Al Ghurair.
This Friday, February 24th, BBC Africa will broadcast a debate from Freetown Sierra Leone on international farmland deals in Africa - or Land grabbing as it’s commonly known. Listeners can join the discussion on social media.