Promoting responsible international investment in agriculture

• MOFA
• 29 September 2009

The Government of Japan, with the World Bank, FAO, IFAD and UNCTAD, try to initiate a coordinated global response to the growing land grabbing trend at the UN

Egypt's Citadel to invest $200-$400 mln in 2010

• Reuters
• 29 September 2009

Citadel, which also announced on Tuesday that it was investing in 500,000 feddans (210,000 hectares) of farmland in Sudan, is also looking to potential investments elsewhere in Africa: Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia.

Egypt firm says investing in Sudanese farmland

• Reuters
• 29 September 2009

Egyptian private equity firm Citadel Capital is investing in 210,000 ha of farmland in Sudan, where it got the right to the land for 99 years.

L'esplosione del farmland grab

• Liberal
• 29 September 2009

Dar won't host major conference

• The Citizen
• 29 September 2009

An Afro-Arab agriculture conference on farm investment, which was to take place in Zanzibar, has been cancelled due to the Tanzanian governmnt's 11th hour refusal to host it.

Indians go in search of El Dorado

• Times of India
• 29 September 2009

The Solvent Extractors Association, the Indian oilseeds industry body, has formed a consortium of 18 companies to acquire 10,000 hectares of prime farmland in a $40-million deal in Uruguay and Paraguay to cultivate oilseeds and pulses. The association says they are hamstrung only by access to finance, otherwise they have it all sewn up.

“Land grabs” for rice production due to supply threats

• IRRI
• 28 September 2009

IRRI is not involved in any projects on land acquisition for rice production, nor does it provide advice on land acquisition, but it does find ways to help increase the overall rice supply

Agriculture wins pension fund mandates

• Financial Standard
• 28 September 2009

Key areas of investment interest from pension and sovereign wealth funds in UK, Middle East, Europe and the US include agriculture land in Australia, South and North America, and throughout Europe.

UAE investors help plant hopes for Sudan’s revival

• The National
• 28 September 2009

As part of its policy of food security, Abu Dhabi acquired 30,000 hectares of land last June through its development fund to grow alfalfa, which is used to feed cattle, and other crops such as corn.

Kenya: Govt blamed for persistent food crisis

• Daily Nation
• 27 September 2009

Small scale farmers have accused the Kenyan Government of failing to act to address persistent food insecurity. They also opposed the leasing of agricultural land to foreigners.

Sayegh: Now is the right time to start new businesses

• Business 24/7
• 27 September 2009

"We have acquired a very large piece of agricultural land in the Nile Delta – a 15,000 sq km tract of land where we will be producing for international markets, including the Arab World."

The constant gardener

• Times of India
• 26 September 2009

He owns land eight times the size of Mumbai, most of it in distant Ethiopia. His company, Karuturi Global, figures among the top 25 agri transnational corporations. But he wants more -- to break into the top 10 and rub shoulders with the likes of ConAgro and Cargill.