More and more of Africa's farmland is being bought up by private companies and countries. But should this trend be welcomed as much-needed foreign investment or is it a new form of colonialism? Join the Riz Khan show on Al Jazeera Thursday 19 November 2009.
The 450 civil society organisations taking part in a parallel forum were not won over by FAO's optimism about a code of conduct. "Land grabbing by external capital must stop," read a declaration by participants at the forum.
Varias ONG acusaron a las multinacionales del sector alimentario de intentar hacerse con millones de hectáreas de tierras de buena calidad pertenecientes a pequeños campesinos del Tercer Mundo, durante la cumbre de la FAO sobre la seguridad alimentaria que se celebra en Roma.
El Foro Alternativo a la FAO clama contra los países ricos que acaparan las tierras de las naciones en vías de desarrollo
"Personnellement je ne vois pas ce que les petits producteurs peuvent gagner avec des investissements privés étrangers de masse." Un entretien avec Moussa Djiré.
The French farming minister warned these "predatory investments" prevented countries from feeding themselves. Al Jazeera reports.
Across the street from the conference, human rights and farmers' groups protested sporadically throughout the three days. Small farmers' groups put on street theatre, re-enacting scenes of land-grabbing by foreign companies, with thugs bearing sticks pretending to threaten the small land owners.
The UN and the World Bank are walking a tightrope in drawing up a code of conduct for farmland deals as they do not want to undermine investor confidence. Campaigners call such "win-win" codes "a nonsense".
Arabia Saudita, Corea, China, Japón y otros concentran tierras “baratas” en países del sur
Los efectos de la apropiación de tierras agrícolas por corporaciones y capitales extranjeros bajo la lupa, en vísperas de la conferencia mundial de la FAO sobre soberanía alimentaria
And now the bad news. FAO has taken a U-turn in its clear position on the race by food-importing countries and private companies to buy land overseas for domestic food and agriculture needs.
Land grabbing by transnational capital must stop.
