While most of the big corporate money has been falling over itself to buy into Australia's largest landowner, S. Kidman & Co, Rifa has quietly bought a total of seven properties in the last few months.
Financial investors own tracts that grow maize and soya beans in Illinois and Uruguay, almonds and cattle in Australia, and sugar beets and wheat in Poland. Some are venturing into countries with potentially volatile politics, such as Ethiopia and Ukraine.
The Qatar backed agricultural land and food producing company Hassad has defended its financial record in Australia following a report which showed its property company had never made a profit.
The four farms in the ‘macadamia capital of Australia’ cover 545 ha across four adjoining farms with 109,000 mature trees and were put up for sale in 2013 by one of the largest institutional managers of agricultural real estate in the US, Hancock Farm Company.
“I find it peculiar that a nation that is the venue for so much flow of funds from overseas to invest in our agricultural assets is not the same venue for Australian super funds to invest in,” ag minister Barnaby Joyce says.
Loro Horta reports on recent Chinese overseas investment in agriculture in the Lusophone world
La Caravane pour l'eau, la terre et les semences est partie au début du mois du Burkina Faso, elle va jusqu'au Sénégal et elle fait halte en ce moment dans la capitale malienne
Accaparement de terres, mise en péril de zones naturelles remarquées ou privatisation de patrimoines publics ? La fronde continue de monter contre le projet de vente au Qatar du domaine d’État de Thiverval-Grignon en France.
Les Chinois ne se contentent plus d'acheter les produits alimentaires australiens dont ils raffolent : des investisseurs chinois acquièrent des fermes, dont les plus grandes et les plus anciennes de l'île continent.
"We believe this was a tactic to get us into prison so that we cannot raise our voice on the unacceptable land deals in Malen Chiefdom."
Joseph Rahall interviews Hon. Shiaka Sama, who was released from prison on 24 February 2016 while 5 other activists are still behind bars
Evalué à plus de 100 milliards de francs CFA, ce partenariat est destiné au financement de plusieurs projets agricoles, comme l’hévéaculture et la culture du palmier à huile et autres projets industriels.
