African governments are bringing agriculture schemes to international investors in the hope of matching investors to fertile soils

Malaysia's biggest company Sime Darby has struck a deal with the Liberian government to develop oil palm and rubber estates in West African nation as land runs out at home and global demand for palm oil surges.

“Land grabbing in Tanzania doesn't exist,” insists the executive director of the Tanzania Horticultural Association Ms Jacquiline Mkindi

Gulf states buying farmland in developing nations for food security face the risk of damaging their reputation as international investors as the deals are seen as land grabs, a Rothschild executive said yesterday.

A scramble by wealthy states to snap up developing world farmland to ensure their own food security -- especially in Africa -- could trigger conflict in poorer countries, World Food Programme deputy executive director Sheila Sisulu said on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Egypt. "I fear... conflict," she said.

DMCI President Isidro Consunji said the family's agriculture business was developing a 12,000-hectare African palm oil plantation in Negros Occidental, as well as a partnership with Japan's Marubeni and UP Los Baños to plant 1.5 million trees across 15,000 hectares for carbon credits.

Journalist Richard Assheton visits the Ndiaël region in northern Senegal, where he meets communities fighting a decade-long campaign against the sale of 20,000 ha, now held by Frank Timis' African Agriculture Inc

The South African state-workers’ pension funds and black-economic empowerment group Pelo Agricultural Ventures take a majority stake in Karan Beef (Pty) Ltd., owner of the continent’s largest cattle feedlot.

The employees accuse CFC Stanbic of demanding more money than it lent to Karuturi, saying the South African lender is responsible for the poverty that struck their families since Karuturi was placed under receivership, 3 years ago.

Tucked away over 50 kilometers north of the capital Kampala, Chinese technicians continue to set up the first agricultural industrial park in the East African country.

Canadian oil palm company operating oil palm plantations and arable farming operations in the DRC announces another $5 million placement by the African Agriculture Fund, which is funded by several development finance institutes.

Forest regions and local livelihoods under threat as palm oil producers looking for new agricultural land are welcomed by African governments

Groups around the world accuse European business magnates Vincent Bolloré and Hubert Fabri of using intimidation to silence local opposition to an African land grab.

It alleges that the dealings of Karuturi Global, one of India’s largest flower growers, in the African nation do not smell as sweet as what it grows

Kilombero Plantations Limited chief executive officer Carter Coleman talks about his company's large-scale farming operations in Tanzania, including the removal of the "Project Affected Persons" previously farming the lands.

Iowa agribusiness investor Bruce Rastetter is leading a project to turn as much as 800,000 acres [324,000 hectares] of land in the east African country of Tanzania into a massive grain-and-livestock operation.

Nitol-Niloy Group and Bhati Bangla Agrotec of Bangladesh aim to invest an initial US$18 million to lease around 40,000 hectares of African land by the end of this year to grow foodstuff, most of which they will be obliged to sell in Bangladesh.

A handful of North African countries, along with Iraq and Sudan, could feed the Gulf.

Jannat has a target of securing 100,000 to 215,000 hectares of land abroad, including $100m in African investments, says Mohammed Abdulla al-Rajhi, chairman of Jannat and deputy chairman of Tadco.

Three of the Gulf's biggest financial house has teamed up to launch three investment vehicles worth $10 billion (Dh36.7bn). The 'strategic' alliance between Gulf Finance House, Ithmaar Bank and Abu Dhabi Investment House covers the infrastructure, agricultural and hospitality sectors and are expected to bring return on investments in 18 months. The agricultural fund is considering Australia, China, the Philippies, India and North African countries for food production and livestock.

“MPs want ActionAid to keep off”, screams the caption of a story in the East African Standard of January 3, 2006. The story is attributed to MPs Oburu Odinga and Ayiecho Olweny who claim that the NGO is inciting residents of trouble ridden Yala Swamp rice scheme in which American investor Dominion Group of Companies has been embroiled in a tussle with the community over issues of land dispossession

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority buys a 3,500 ha farm in Nasarawa State through a joint venture with UFF Agri Investment, a South African company owned by Old Mutual Property

Director General of UNIDO: says land acquisition through foreign investors must be carefully considered and strictly scrutinized.

The US-based Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement say they want senior government officials involved in the deal investigated and prosecuted for accepting a deal that will be detrimental to the welfare of Tanzanians.

The Bodi people have been decimated since the Gibe III dam came into operation and diverted the Omo River’s waters to large-scale irrigation schemes.

The Dangote Group, Nigerian giant conglomerate’s has plans to invest $3.8bn in sugar, rice and milk over the next three years. What is the rationale for the investment?

The controversy surrounding palm oil cultivation involving agricultural trading company Olam International has intensified over the last two months.

In 2011, GLB acquired 87,200 hectares of land in Sudan under a 99-year renewable lease and secured the water rights for 900 million cubic meters per annum in deals signed with the Sudanese government.

Nigeria’s biggest private sector company, the Dangote Group, has decided to turn its attention to agribusiness. Dangote will pay the state government N1.2bn ($3.7m) for 16,000 hectares of land and give it an equity stake in the company.

Differing land ownership laws in East Africa are hurting the growth of agribusiness as the sector is unable to attract needed private equity funds.