Since the food and financial crisis in 2008, a race for arable land has started worldwide. States, corporations, banks and funds of rich countries buy up large chunks of land to produce agrofuels and grow crops for food - or just to speculate.

Sudanese officials have set aside 17,000 hectares of land in White Nile state for an Egyptian meat project.

A land grab is taking place all across Africa, a transfer of control unprecedented in the post-colonial era.

World food security fears may be driving the foreign rush to buy Australian farmland and agribusinesses, says Nationals' leader, Warren Truss.

The Republic of Congo has handed over 80,000 ha of arable land to a company owned and operated by 14 South African farmers.

A new report is released this week to coincide with the forthcoming international conference on the global land grab to be held at IDS, University of Sussex.

Foreign investors are leasing vast tracts of land in Ethiopia

One of the problems with so-called ‘land grabs’ is secrecy. Most of the contracts that seal such deals are hidden from public scrutiny, which makes it very hard to establish what is really going on.

Mauritius has access to more than 120,000 hectares of farming land in Mozambique and an expression of interest from potential agricultural entrepreneurs was launched last year.

Indonesia's move to bring in a two-year moratorium on new palm oil plantations has seen agribusiness giants like Sime Darby switch expansion plans to Cameroon, Ghana and Liberia.

Parliament is calling on the Productivity Commission to review the recent surge in foreign investment in farming, focusing on its effects on the economy and food security.

The government and companies are joining hands to expand the country’s overseas farming bases, establish a direct import channel and modernize agricultural production and distribution.