Participants agreed on the importance of an open and inclusive dialogue to continue encouraging responsible agricultural investment by various parties.

"Dans la mesure où je peux en juger, la résistance est petite dans les régions concernées. Il se forme plutôt une résistance internationale," estime un journaliste suisse.

In Brazil, El Tejar and others are investing in ownership and hope to capture land appreciation. BrasilAgro brags that it sold one farm for a gain of 116 percent in just 17 months.

Entrevista a Ruedi Küng, corresponsal para África de la Radio suiza alemana DRS

"La actual agudización del acaparamiento de tierras, de los océanos y de las masas de agua por parte de grupos económicos, empresas transnacionales y capitales especulativos es una de las agresiones más graves e inminentes que enfrentan los pueblos y su soberanía alimentaria."

Since the land acquisition will be by private parties only, the chances of such purchase becoming a political issue are remote, officials feel.

"Local businessmen make deals with foreign investors and convince tribal authorities in the area to give them land, but the water from the river is not just for people to take," says Water Affairs Under Secretary A. Nehemia who had not been informed about the farm.

Nachdem der ländliche Sektor jahrzehntelang vernachlässigt wurde, hat in den vergangenen Jahren eine regelrechte Jagd auf Acker- und Weideland eingesetzt.

A German investment fund that bought a majority interest in a Southland dairy farm, Aquila Capital's AgrarInvest, also has shareholdings in three other Kiwi dairy companies.

Le Fonds pour l’agriculture en Afrique sera financé par la Banque africaine de développement (Bad) et l’Agence française de développement (AFD) à hauteur de 40 millions de dollars chacun.

Gulf nations hope science will turn desert areas into arable land to boost food security and avoid the risks inherent in buying farmland abroad.

Farms of foreign owners control more than 6 percent of the total Czech farmland area of 3.6 million hectares, weekly Euro says in its latest issue to be published on Monday, referring to data of the Czech Statistical Office