farmlandgrab.org | Special content

Brazil makes its case to Saudis that Brazilian agribusiness is good for them
- Brazzil Magazine
- 22 October 2009
"The idea is to show that the Arabs may invest in agriculture in Brazil without the need for purchasing land," says Eduardo Sampaio
Black Earth plans Russia grain exports, forward sales
- Bloomberg
- 22 October 2009
Black Earth Farming Ltd., which controls an area of Russian farmland four times the size of New York City, plans to start exporting grain and begin forward sales with traders and fertilizer suppliers.
Razzia sur les terres arables
- Public Sénat
- 22 October 2009
Acheter des terres arables à l'étranger est devenu un investissement stratégique. Va-t-on vers un dépeçage de certains pays pauvres ? Reportage "Paroles du Monde" avec des représentants d'Agter, Le Monde et Agrogénération.
Ethiopia's farmland in high demand
- Washington Post
- 22 October 2009
Officials in Ethiopia hope that the investment can help improve agriculture, replacing ox-and-plough with tractors, but some are concerned about whether the deals benefit the lessors.
Food security: Putting food on plates
- Chatham House
- 22 October 2009
Japan is leading an international effort to define a new set of 'investor principles' to govern such deals. These efforts are gaining support but will need to involve investors, many of whom are far removed from the donors, global banks and multinational corporations that are used to working with such initiatives.
Agricultores sudafricanos satisfechos de acuerdo agrícola con República Congo
- EFE
- 21 October 2009
El ministro de agricultura congoleño, Rigobert Maboundou, dijo que este acuerdo forma parte de un Plan de Acción de su Gobierno para consolidar la agricultura como un pilar de su economía y que, además de este pacto, el mayor de este tipo firmado en África, tienen otros similares con China, Brasil e Israel.
Congo hands land to South African farmers
- The Telegraph
- 21 October 2009
There has been criticism of the deal in France, pointing out that Denis Sassou-Nguesso, the Congolese president, is widely considered to be severely corrupt. But de Jager believes such attacks are motivated by a desire to protect French [farm export] interests against competition.
Congo Brazzaville/South Africa land deal
- BBC
- 21 October 2009
Peter Ndoro spoke to Dr Yao Graham, coordinator of Third World Network-Africa, a development agency, asking whether these deals really transfer technical expertise to locals.
South Africa’s white farmers prepare to trek to the Congo
- National Post
- 21 October 2009
"The motivation for South African farmers is simple," said Theo de Jager, Agri SA's deputy president, who helped negotiate the deal. "One in four farms must be redistributed in the next four or five years. So for new entrants into the sector and for those farmers who want to expand there is nowhere to go."
Should Africa resist 'land grabbing'?
- BBC
- 21 October 2009
Can these deals benefit Africa? Have you been affected by one of these land deals? Should countries be leasing fertile land to foreign investors? Join a live BBC debate on 21 October 2009.
SA farmers sign Congo land deal
- Reuters
- 21 October 2009
South Africa has signed a deal with the Republic of Congo that will give SA farmers access to up to 10 million ha of farmland, the country's biggest farmers' union said on Tuesday.
On food speculation, UN's expert says nothing's being done, S. Korean land grabs from Madagascar to Sudan, Brazil on ethanol
- Inner City Press
- 21 October 2009
After many speeches at the UN about the need to crack down on financial speculation in food, nothing has been done, the UN's expert on the right to food told Inner City Press on Wednesday.