A landmark agreement in the Kimberley is close to being sealed in which Australia's largest cattle corporation will lease vast tracts of land from their Aboriginal owners in return for providing jobs, training and a share of profits in the cattle business.

The head of a $7 billion Chinese mining project in the Pilbara says Australia has a golden opportunity to meet China's soaring demand for high-quality food and he would prefer to invest in agriculture rather than iron ore.

Outspoken entrepreneur and aviator Dick Smith has bought $1 million worth of shares in Australian Agricultural Co (AAco) - Australia's second-largest landholder - because he doesn't want to sound hypocritical when he campaigns against foreign ownership of farms.

President of New South Wales Farmers Fiona Simson doesn't believe the community and farmers are opposed to foreign investment in Australian agricultural land as long as it's adding to their community, industry and economy. The question is having the tools to make sure that this is what's happening.

While Australians fret about how much farmland is being snapped up by foreign investors, our New Zealand cousins have adopted a no-nonsense policy on rural land sales to off-shore investors.

Australia's federal government has set up a working group to assist with the development of a Commonwealth register of foreign owned agricultural land.

Macquarie Group Limited looks to be moving in on more agricultural investments with the launch of a new fund to target dairy farms in Australia.

Circle of Blue have put together an interactive map of land grabs by country and by sector.

The Gillard Government (Australia) has announced a working group to consult on the development of a Commonwealth foreign ownership register for agricultural land.

Only a fool would believe Australia's agricultural development could be funded without foreign investment from sovereign wealth funds, according to Trade Minister Craig Emerson.

As Europe's debt crisis rattles global equity market confidence farming is being increasingly championed by many as a sound, long-term bet for investors needing a safe haven for their money - particularly superannuation funds.

Trading as Kimberley Agricultural Investments, it's understood that a Chinese investment group is interested in developing a major sugar industry in the region, as well as a meatworks capable of processing 500,000 head of cattle a year.

The government's plans to make northern Australia into an Asian food bowl with the help of Chinese investment may run into trouble, after a new poll confirmed opposition to foreigners buying the farm.

Between the farmers and Olam lies one of Lao’s most powerful, and some allege, corrupt families, the Siphandones.

Karuturi, which has 300,000 ha in Ethiopia, is now targeting the DRC, Tanzania, Mozambique, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

There are unconfirmed reports that former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke is representing a Shanghai-based company wanting to farm all 15,000 hectares of the land being developed as part of the Ord irrigation project in Western Australia.

Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, with an estimated $100 billion in assets, expects to start exports of grains and wool from Australia as it nears completion of a $486 million farm investment plan

China would invest billions of dollars to transform vast tracts of undeveloped land in northern Australia for farming, under a plan confirmed yesterday by the federal government.

The Chinese Government is seeking less scrutiny of its Australian farm raids. Sources say the Chinese are pushing the issue as part of a planned free trade agreement with Australia.

Corporate Agriculture Australia managing director Gordon Verrall believes WA farmers have nothing to worry about in regards to foreign investment.

Hassad Foods' farmland purchases in Australia are guided by a risk minimising strategy. The lands are distributed across different climes and water regimes over a wide geographic area.

New Zealand is one of many countries upon whom China’s entrepreneurs have cast their eyes for opportunities to buy farmland, mineral and power resources to shore up China’s looming food shortage and resource-hungry economy.

With the purchase of nearly 15,000ha of land in Jerramungup last month, the Qatar-based Hassad Food Company now owns 250,000ha of farmland in Austalia

A Chinese investment group has reportedly lodged a bid to buy the entire 15,000 hectares of the Ord Expansion Project in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Liberal MP backs calls from farming groups nationwide to tighten government regulations that scrutinise potential sales of Australian farmland and water assets to foreign investors and increase transparency.

Senator believes a revision of foreign investment rules must adequately consider the changing nature of national sovereignty, in the face of a mounting global food security task.

Family that sold Australia's biggest water licence in history has been selling its NSW farming operations and is setting up a new agricultural empire in the Blue Nile state in Sudan

The alternative investment company, with $5bn of interests, revealed the appointment of seven managers, in countries including Australia, Brazil, and Romania, in a drive to expand in agriculture.

CP Group has opened an office in Melbourne to start buying red meat and grains and set up a salmon farm in Australia.

Kiribati President Anote Tong says there are no plans to begin moving people to the newly-purchased 2,200 ha of land in Fiji. The estate is rich agricultural land and its role is more likely to be for food security.