A total of 16 state farms have been leased, and 15 000 ha identified for leasing, to both local and foreign investors, says Botswana's Minister of Finance

South Korea's state-run agriculture trading corporation says that it aims to set up an international grain purchasing and distribution company that can invest directly in foreign farms or control stakes in agricultural operations.

The companies the $100 million fund will target will be those involved with agrichemicals, equipment and infrastructure, as well as soft commodities and food, biofuels, forestry, agricultural sciences and arable land.

The Pontal project has 30.000 ha of total area, with 8.000 ha irrigable. It will have a huge impact since it will be the first PPP of Lula government and will settle the framework for another 500.000 hectares.

"The People's Republic of China (PRC) is encouraging Chinese private enterprises to invest heavily in Sudan's agriculture sector, Lee "Ali" Wei Zheng, Commercial Officer for the Chinese Embassy, told PolEconOff February 3," reports the US Embassy in Khartoum

As many foreign and local investor are seeking to win a license to invest in the giant agriculture project in Papua, Indonesia, one unnamed South Korean investor has obtained a permit. Mitsubishi is also bidding. Binladin Group has been rejected.

While many peasant organizations are relentlessly drawing attention to this devastating land-grabbing, the UN and other agencies have been characteristically slow to act.

Includes a copy of the land lease agreement and a legal and human rights audit of the land lease agreement.

Foreign investors from China, Korea and Singapore have expressed their readiness to invest in the projects to cultivate including paddy to supply for domestic demand.

Standard Chartered Bank's Africa private equity arm and a unit of Reliance Capital are in talks to invest in Dubai-based Karuturi Overseas.

"Some Saudi princes told president Lula they do not want to invest in agriculture in Brazil in order to sell here in Brazil, they want food supply sources," says Brazilian minister of Development Miguel Jorge

"Agricultural land owned by Indians in a foreign country with captive markets locally, and as an opportunity to export to India, is of interest to us," says Shashi Tharoor