Foreign farmland acquisitions are a telling vote of no confidence in international markets by food-deficient countries, which understandably fear a repeat of the 2008 food crisis may deny them opportunities to buy grains and other essential soft commodities at any price.

It may appear contradictory for the Japanese government to support aggressive investment in overseas land while seeking ways to restrict purchases by foreign interests at home.

Richard Fyers, a commercial lawyer with the NZ China Trade Association, writes about the fuss made over land sales to foreigners.

"I have asked the USDA if Chinese investors could buy farmland in the US and I got positive answers. In this way, Chinese grain price could escape the control of international grain enterprises," says Zheng Fengtian.

The process of buying up large swathes of farmland in foreign countries is politically sensitive, but "beggars can't be choosers" says a senior executive at a leading Middle Eastern food commodities trading firm

Hassad Food plans to invest all over the world. “Latin America, Asia, you name it,” says Al Hajri, “Where we invest, we make profit. If Qatar is in need of that production, Hassad has the pleasure to sell to Qatar at no special rate.”

For the far-sighted investor, especially one spending dollars, an agricultural downturn could be the time to consider buying farmland.

The fund’s strategy is to own and manage funds which operate in largely unsubsidised farming countries and are among the lowest cost producers of their chosen commodity or livestocks.

Dexion Capital prepares to raise $270 million for a private equity fund which will invest in land, and operate cattle and crop farms around the world.

From the California wine country to the Florida citrus groves and Montana ranches, a wave of Japanese investment is sweeping through American agriculture and food processing.

Bass Coast Shire Council last month unanimously rejected Ningbo Dairy Group’s plan to house 1000 milking cows in barns and build a $6 million bottling plant on its main Glenview farm

Australia's new threshold on foreign investment in agriculture would be cumulative, so someone with a $14m investment would have to seek approval before trying to purchase an ­additional $1m property.

Subsidiary of Singapore's Wilmar pays $115m for Australia's largest sugar mill operator and plans to buy back former cane land now used for timber plantations to expand sugar production.

There is "a wall of money" looking for a home in agricultural investments worldwide, say managers for BlackRock's London-based World Agriculture Fund.

Australia's Trade Minister Andrew Robb has engaged in a fiery exchange with controversial radio broadcaster Alan Jones over foreign investment in agriculture.

Macquarie Group's new farmland fund, which is targeting farms in Australia and Brazil, has purchased its first two properties in Australia worth a total of almost $40 million.

London-listed M.P. Evans, offloaded 31,000-hectare cattle-fattening property Woodlands, near Westmar, Australia for $28 million to a subsidiary of China's Fucheng Group.

UK-based investors are planning a $400 million rural land fund to buy cotton and wheat properties in eastern Australia.

Developers hover as 5 million hectares, and national pride, are signed away in 99-year leases that have raised fears of corruption.

One of Canada’s biggest pension funds has teamed up with management of Australia’s largest pecan grower and processor, Stahmann Farms Enterprises.

More than 613,000 hectares of Australia's NSW's agricultural land is owned by UK-based investors, compared with 227,300 ha owned by Korean interests and 55,560 ha by US investors.

Peter Hannen is selling his sheep country in western NSW, Australia after his ambitious plan to raise $300 million for an agricultural fund with Dexian Capital couldn't find support.

A record amount of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest was cut down or destroyed last month, fuelling concerns that under President Jair Bolsonaro, illegal miners and farmers are involved in a free-for-all land grab.

Consistent interest from Saudi Arabia in direct investment in foreign agriculture, such as SALIC's recent purchase of 200,000 ha in Western Australia, will continue.

La Chine a accepté des accords commerciaux qui obligent le pays à importer des denrées alimentaires et mis en place des mesures favorisant le développement des grandes exploitations et d’énormes entreprises alimentaires et agroindustrielles.

Malaysia’s palm oil giant Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK) has been steadily purchasing farms in Australia’s largest wheat-producing region

SALIC owns a whopping aggregation in Western Australia, Merredin Farms, which produces grain and livestock over 211,000 hectares and grows around 120,000 tonnes of grain alone each year.

Bullish returns from farmland investments are likely to falter in 2021 because of Australia's increasingly prickly trade relationship with our huge agricultural export customer, China.

Complex web of data reveals large swathes of country controlled by small number of billionaires and large companies

China ha aceptado firmar tratados comerciales que la obligan a importar alimentos, y ha implementado políticas que favorecen el desarrollo de fincas de mayor tamaño y de inmensas corporaciones del agronegocio y la alimentación