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Land Grab or Development Opportunity? Agricultural Investment and International Land Deals in Africa
Abstract
"Large-scale acquisitions of farmland in Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and Southeast Asia are making headlines in a flurry of media reports across the world. Lands that only a short time ago seemed of little outside interest are now being sought by international investors by the tune of hundreds of thousands of hectares. And while a failed attempt to lease 1.3 million hectares in Madagascar has attracted much media attention, deals reported in the international press constitute the tip of the iceberg. Despite the spate of media reports and rare published research, international land deals and their impacts still remain little understood. This report is a step towards filling this gap. The outcome of a collaboration between IIED, FAO and IFAD, the report discusses key trends and drivers in land acquisitions, the contractual arrangements underpinning them and the way these are negotiated, and the early impacts on land access for rural people in recipient countries. While international land deals are emerging as a global phenomenon, this report focuses on sub-Saharan Africa. The report draws on a literature review, on qualitative interviews with key informants internationally, on national inventories of ongoing and proposed land acquisitions since 2004 in five African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali and Sudan) and qualitative studies in Mozambique and Tanzania, and on legal analysis of national law and of a small sample of investor-state contracts."
... Also, Kugelman and Levenstein (2009) With Ethiopia being one of the hungriest country in the world with population of 13 million, it is leasing out approximately 7.5 million acres of its fertile land to investors who are exporting food back to their own countries of residence (see Mittal, 2009, 2010). The study by Cotula et al. (2009) covered qualitative interviews and case studies for five sub-Saharan African and other countries, viz., Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, and the Sudan and Mozambique and Tanzania. As Cotula et al. (2009) mentions, "international land deals and their impacts remain still little understood." ...
... The study by Cotula et al. (2009) covered qualitative interviews and case studies for five sub-Saharan African and other countries, viz., Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, and the Sudan and Mozambique and Tanzania. As Cotula et al. (2009) mentions, "international land deals and their impacts remain still little understood." ...
... In the longer run, a healthy trade relationship could grow out of such investment islands, building trust in trade, at least on a bilateral basis and potentially more broadly, in an increasingly volatile world food system. According to Cotula et al. (2009), most of these countries lack proficient mechanism to ensure local rights, production for domestic supply over exports, protecting local interests, livelihood, and welfare and thus the 'win-win' situation should be viewed with cautious optimism rather than harping on myopic vision of potential benefits without serious study. (According to Olivier De Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Food, on his report to Committee on Sustainable Development: "the issue is not one of merely increasing budget allocations to agriculture, but choosing from different models of agricultural development the ones which may have different impacts and benefit various groups differently (quoted from Daniel and Mittal, 2010, p. 1).") ...
Abstract
This article offers a synoptic overview of the current status of land use, land cover, and ensuing changes in them in the wake of drivers and anthropogenic changes in global biosphere. Also, it discusses the effects of such changes on global greenhouse gases, causing climate change and affecting biodiversity. This is also associated with factors leading to land acquisition. Analytical modeling to study the myriad of interlinakges is briefly surveyed. Given the preponderant role ascribed to climate change and human development in the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals, scientific research from a multidisciplinary perspective is needed for informed debate on growth, poverty, and the environment nexus.
... Transnational large scale land acquisitions have become a global concern as significant global factors bring about considerable changes to land use and developments especially in the global south. Land transactions that may be described as large-scale involve land parcels ranging from 1000 ha to 500,000 ha (Cotula, 2009). Land Matrix (2021) reports that large scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) have led to global acquisitions of over 87 million hectares of land predominantly in developing economies. ...
... Following the global food crisis, and of course the ubiquitous challenge of rising population, some of the major food-importing countries have sought to directly secure land abroad for agricultural use rather than rely on global markets. Another notable and competing driver of LSLAs is the global demand for biofuels and other non-food agricultural commodities (Cotula, 2009). The sustained interest in biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuel has seen investors targeting vast expanses of land in mostly developing countries for biofuel production. ...
... As global demand for food and natural resources grows, transnational transactions involving large volumes of land in developing countries have increased significantly. Specifically, the spike in commodity prices amidst the expansion in biofuel production and the 2008 global financial crisis, coupled with anticipations about future spikes in prices and absence of alternative assets for investments in the home country have all led to the marked increases in transnational landintensive investments (Cotula, 2009;Arezki et al., 2015). Fears of sustainability of food importation by oil exporting countries in the wake of regional droughts in major food producing countries and the attendant imposition of temporary export controls amid the 2008 recession is another contributory factor. ...
... If Africa could copy the above arrangement at least by forcing foreign investors in land to have fifty-fifty ownership, which would help Africa not only to not allow its land to be grabbed and gain capital but also to gain technology and experience in farming. Cotula (2009) addresses the issue of jointventure investment as doable and feasible for both sides. I argue that if land is invested in through fifty-fifty joint venture in which the host country use its land as its contribution to the business and foreign firms inject money as their part, there will be no way anything could be done without both parties to enter agreement to agree or disagree for their mutual interests. ...
... In their attempts to modernise their economy, many African countries recently set wrong priorities. Instead of addressing their food needs, many countries have decided to invest in land leasing (Cotula, 2009;Vermeulen & Cotula, 2010). There is no way whatsoever African countries that have allowed their land to be used for the production of food, biofuels and others can disentangle themselves from abject poverty. ...
... The second one involves toxic investments championed by neoliberalism for the benefit of foreign markets, especially in food production. For example, Cotula (2009) notes that "international land deals may be perceived as bringing back the "bad old days" of colonialism, particularly in Africa. This is particularly so when rental fees are zero or close to zero" (p. ...
... If Africa could copy this gulf countries at least by forcing foreign investors in land to have fifty-fifty ownership which would help Africa not only to not allow its land to be grabbed and gain capital but also to gain technology and experience in farming. Cotula (2009) addresses the issue of joint-venture investment as doable and feasible for both sides. I argue that if land is invested in through fifty-fifty joint venture in which the host countries use its land as its contribution to the business and foreign firms inject money as their part, there will be no way anything could be done without both parties to the agreement to agree or disagree for their mutual interests. ...
... In their attempts to modernise their economy, many African countries recently set wrong priorities. Instead of addressing their food needs, many countries have decided to invest in land leasing (Cotula, 2009;Vermeulen & Cotula, 2010). There is no way whatsoever African countries that have allowed their land to be used for the production of food, biofuels and others to disentangle themselves from abject poverty. ...
... The second one involves toxic investment championed by neoliberalism for the benefit of foreign markets especially in food production. For example, Cotula (2009) notes that "international land deals may be perceived as bringing back the "bad old days" of colonialism, particularly in Africa. This is particularly so when rental fees are zero or close to zero" (p. ...
This book aims to shed light on land grabbing, which corrupt politicians disguisedly call land leasing that many African countries are now involved in under the guise of investment. The major argument I make in this volume is that rich countries and companies are now committing a sacrilegious crime against poor Africans, which is likely to backfire soon than later after its adverse ramifications surface. To put it in context, such a crime is not only detrimental but self-inflicted wounds if not a suicidal act for Africa whose greedy and myopic rulers give a good name of investment. This sort of investment is not a panacea for Africa’s problem. Instead, it is a catalyst of land colonisation, which soon will exacerbate the problem. There are ways of solving Africa’s economic tanking.
The book poses a few simple questions: Instead of leasing out the land, why can’t such countries enter agreements with those they are leasing land to and produce food or whatever produce and supply them? Does Africa have any plan B in case things go skewwhiff in this agricultural geopolitics and land grabbing? Where did Africa study the entire project to assess its performance before swallowing it hook, line, and sinker for its peril. Also, the book considers landlessness in many African countries as a ticking bomb, especially when victims evidence how the land they call theirs is decadently and recklessly dished out by corrupt and irresponsible rulers or official in their countries while they are not only landless but also starving simply because those they wrongly trust have openly betrayed and sold them. Africa has always suffered from food insecurity. Land grabbing soon will become a food and national security issue.
... From a policy standpoint, numerous African nations, such as Sudan and Zambia, aspiring to alleviate poverty and foster inclusive prosperity, exhibit a proclivity towards endorsing large-scale farmland investment. They envisage it as a vehicle for job creation, augmenting farmland sector productivity, and facilitating infrastructural development (Cotula et al., 2009). From the perspective of capital providers, impact investors in the farmland sector espouse the triple bottom line ethos of prioritizing people, planet, and profit; nonetheless, the abstractness of their investments' impact to external observers stems from a dearth of quantitative metrics (Kish & Fairbairn, 2018). ...
... Through prioritizing the allocation of capital towards sustainable agricultural practices, impact investors steer farmers away from unfavorable agricultural activities, thereby mitigating climate change, preserving biodiversity, fostering nutritious food production, and enhancing crop yields (Bass et al., 2020). Additionally, Cotula et al. (2009) argue that impact investors are drawn to the environmental benefits associated with biofuel production, which serves as a profitable land use, a source of export revenue, and a cleaner energy source. However, the author underscores that the expansion of biofuel production poses challenges to food supply due to its competition for land use. ...
Divergent perspectives regarding the efficacy of impact investing in extensive agricultural endeavours introduce complexity to investment dynamics within the sector, impeding capital mobilization. Through a systematic examination of extant literature, this study scrutinizes the methodologies, evidence, and outcomes of pertinent research to furnish insights into the advantages, hurdles, and optimal strategies associated with impact investment in large-scale agriculture. It meticulously evaluates and amalgamates conflicting viewpoints to address the core research inquiry. The investigation reveals that extensive agricultural ventures yield favourable financial and societal outcomes in locales characterized by robust and transparent land governance frameworks. However, concerning environmental ramifications, such endeavours tend to inflict more harm than benefit. To optimize value generation, the study advocates for proactive engagement among policymakers and investors to ensure the enforcement of social welfare objectives and land tenure rights, particularly safeguarding the interests of smallholder farmers. Moreover, it proposes the redirection of increased financial resources and the dissemination of sustainable agricultural knowledge to enhance ecological stewardship among farming communities.
... Two models for the engagement of small-scale farming households with large-scale agricultural investments (LSAIs) in the developing world have been widely discussed in the literature: plantation/estate farm and contract farming (or out-grower schemes) (Burnod et al., 2015;Hall et al., 2017;Scoones et al., 2014). Many papers have pointed to the negative impact of large-scale land acquisitions on the surrounding communities (Bottazzi, et al., 2018;Cotula et al., 2009;Hall, 2011;Matenga and Hichaambwa, 2017;Vermeulen and Cotula, 2010). ...
... Eaton and Shepherd (2001) define contract farming as an agreement between farmers, processing, and/or marketing firms to produce and supply agricultural products under forward contracting agreements at predetermined prices. Contract farming has been promoted as a more 'inclusive business model' in which local smallholder farmers can participate in and benefit from the wider benefits of investments in rural areas such as infrastructure development (power supply, roads, water supply), spillovers from increased incomes and, in some cases, mandatory development of education and health facilities (Cotula et al., 2009;Deininger et al., 2011;Hall et al., 2017;Lindholm, 2014;Oya, 2012). Contract farming could secure existing local land rights of smallholder farmers by continuing farming on their land, promoting investments by investors and fostering the commercialisation of smallholder farmers (Väth et al., 2019;Von Braun and Meinzen-Dick, 2009). ...
Context and background Contract farming has been promoted as a more 'inclusive business model' in which local smallholder farmers can participate in and benefit from the wider benefits of investments in rural areas such as infrastructure development (power supply, roads, water supply), spillovers from increased incomes and, in some cases, mandatory development of education and health facilities. Contract farming models could have a positive impact on agricultural development and innovation in developing countries. Contract farming creates a system that links smallholder farmers with domestic and international buyers. Contract farming could secure existing local land rights of smallholder farmers by continuing farming on their land, promoting investments by investors and fostering the commercialization of smallholder farmers. Contract farming could enhance local food security. However, contract farming models do not always have a positive impact. Sometimes contractors make a profit without supporting or, sometimes, exploiting contracted smallholders. Goal and Objectives: The primary focus of this paper is to analyze the impact of contract farming on household food security. The paper will address the following research questions: What are the determinant factors that affect participation in contract farming? and What is the impact of contract farming on household food security in Kenya and Madagascar? Methodology: This study used three internationally recognized food security indicators to measure the food security status of the household: household dietary diversity score (HDDS), food consumption score (FCS) and the months of adequate household food provisioning (MAHFP). This study used an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model to estimate the impact of contract farming on household food security. The research is purely empirical research is based on observation and measurement of phenomena, as directly experienced by the researcher Results: AI can be effectively applied by Informal Cross-Border Traders (ICBT) to enhance their businesses and enhance competitiveness. There are several AI applications accessible to ICBT within their operational context. Although the adoption and utilization of AI in Africa are still in their infancy, there is considerable promise for the future. Africans must address the challenges hindering the adoption and utilization of AI, as technology is advancing rapidly, and opportunities await those who embrace it. Keywords Contract farming; large-scale agricultural investments; endogenous switching regression model; food security. AJLP&GS, e-ISSN: 2657-2664, Vol.7 Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.48346/IMIST.PRSM/ajlp-gs.v7i3.47921
... Answering this question has attracted a balanced debate in the literature. On the one hand, studies show that LSAIs provide an opportunity to eliminate poverty in the target countries by increasing (i) agricultural productivity through spillovers in terms of access to better technologies, access to input markets, and resilience to shocks (Ali et al., 2019); (ii) employment opportunities to the rural poor and lowering local prices and improving the access to food at a local level (Baumgartner et al., 2015;Cotula et al., 2014;Deininger & Byerlee, 2011), and (iii) increasing revenue and modernize the agriculture sector (Cotula, 2009). On the other hand, studies also indicate that LSAIs result in adverse impacts to the welfare and livelihoods of local communities in three ways. ...
... Proponents and governments in the global south promote such investments because it could contribute to rural development and the betterment of welfare and livelihoods of host countries through employment opportunities, spillover effects that increase productivity of farm households, market linkages, infrastructure development and by generating state revenues through taxation (Deininger & Byerlee, 2011). On the other hand opponents also argue that such investments will pose challenges to the local community access to resources, displacement and further environmental implications (Cotula, 2009;Deininger, 2011). After more than two decades since large scale agricultural investments picked large number of case studies are conducted to understand the effect of LSAIs on local communities. ...
Large-scale land investments are often pursued as pro-poor investments by governments in developing countries. However, research on their actual impact on local communities offers a mixed picture. This meta-analysis, drawing on estimates of 37 primary studies, sheds light to understand the overall impact of these investments on local communities. Our analysis finds a modest positive average impact (standardized mean effect size of 0.043) of large-scale agricultural investments on local communities' welfare and livelihoods. This suggests that, on average, large-scale agricultural investments can contribute to positive outcomes. Some potential pathways for this benefit include asset building, increasing income and enhancing food security. However, the subgroup analysis show that the average impact is heterogenous across host countries of these investments. For most of the countries the positive significant impact is robust. We discussed the source of these heterogeneity, the impact pathways and publication bias in the primary studies. The overall positive impact, albeit modest, suggests potential for large-scale agricultural investments to contribute to development outcomes. However, the smaller mean effect size and the observed heterogeneity highlight the need for further research to fully understand the nuances of large-scale agricultural investments.
... Since the beginning of the rise of agricultural investment after the triple crisis, there has been both optimism of the developmental opportunities that might be afforded (job creation, technology transfer, increased food security, rural development, enhanced infrastructure, FDI inflow, etc.) and pessimism (as a process that is displacing people, unjustly or unfairly taking land, and not resulting in the expected positive outcomes). The former was often promoted by governments, investors and multinational corporations (sometimes referencing the potential of 'triple wins'; investor profits, government revenues, community employment), while the latter questioned and challenged such narratives (e.g., [4,12]). Critical perspectives were not all opposed to agricultural investment per se, with some of these critical voices offering suggestions for alternative modalities (e.g., contract farming so that farmers retain land and agency). ...
... The rise of agricultural investments in Ethiopia has sparked concerns about the agendas of corporations among scholars and some government officials. Issues such as the displacement of people, unjust land acquisition, and failure to deliver anticipated benefits have been critical since the outset of the land rush [12]. Despite these concerns, various stakeholders advocate for the concept of "triple wins," which suggests the potential for benefiting investors through profits, generating government revenue, and fostering community employment. ...
In 2007/2008, a triple crisis of food, fuel and finance sparked a global rush for agricultural land; tens of millions of hectares were acquired, primarily by foreign investors, within countries in the Global South. Amidst those transactions, intergovernmental organizations, national governments, investors, and community members envisioned what “success” of such investments entails. Although not explicitly defined, each stakeholder had different conceptualizations and measures of it, based upon the descriptions used and desired outcomes sought. Despite a large amount of literature analyzing the global rush for land, as far as we are aware no one has analyzed the diverse viewpoints about what success entails. This paper compares conceptualizations among four key stakeholder groups, based on ideal types from dominant narratives, and develops a typology of ideal stakeholder framing of success to allow comparisons of uses and thereby provide a foundation for researchers who are assessing the global land rush. This paper provides clarity about widely used, but inconsistently defined, framing providing an important foundation for clarity of meaning and comparative differences between stakeholders. The typology advances the discourse on the land rush by providing nuance to this widely used framing and makes explicit its diverse meanings.
... Considerable research attention has been directed towards land investments, particularly following the surge in transnational land deals in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia during the 2000s (Borras Jr et al., 2012;Cotula, 2009). This land rush emerged in response to both, a food and economic crisis, coupled with efforts by Global South countries to attract foreign capital to advance socio-economic development . ...
... And while investments may fail, the changes in who can access land are not always reversed (Broegaard et al., 2022). Different legal mechanisms are usually in place to protect forests and the people who depend on them, for example, consultation with local people, environment impact assessments, management plans, and often compensation mechanisms (Cotula, 2009). ...
... Increased demand for biofuels (Deininger, 2013), food security concerns in investors' countries (Hallam, 2009) and growing demand for food and changes in consumption behaviours in most emerging economies (Anseeuw et al., 2012) also contribute to the growing interest on largescale land acquisitions. Cotula et al. (2009) defined large-scale land acquisition as the purchase of ownership right or the acquisition of use right of agricultural land, for instance through lease or concession, whether short term or long term. According to a report by the International Land Coalition (ILC), large-scale land acquisitions exceeding 200 hectares reportedly approved or under negotiation from 2000 to 2011 alone cover at least 203 million hectares of land worldwide (Vhugen & Gebru, 2012). ...
... A study by Cotula et al. (2009) on five inventory countries-Ethiopia, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sudan-shows that 87% of the capital investment by large-scale investors is used for producing food crops while the net is allocated for biofuel production. The amount of investment capital distributed for food production is as high as 98% in Ethiopia. ...
Recent years have witnessed an increasing interest in large-scale agricultural land acquisitions in developing countries. The accompanying socio-economic implications have been areas of debate among politicians, policymakers and development agents. This paper argues that the traditional way of simulating the impacts of these investments in developing countries is misleading as the approach implies that the new investments are identical to the semi-subsistence way of farming that dominates agricultural practices in the host countries. In this study, we incorporate the peculiarity of large-scale agro-investments into an existing database for economy-wide models, i.e., social accounting matrix (SAM), and capture welfare and distributional outcomes properly. SAM-based multiplier models applied to Ethiopian data justify the need to account for the peculiarity of the investments in terms of production technology and their geographic distribution.
... The focus on emergent farmers as potential partners in SAGCOT PPPs follows the same basic logic as manifested in both earlier and current policies based on 'progressive farmers' as agents of development (Coulson, 1977;URT, 2010). This development could be associated with what Cotula et al. (2009) view as a shift in the distribution of risks and returns within the agricultural value chains, by shifting risks downwards to the processors and distributors. By doing this, agriculture becomes a more attractive investment option as it aims to maximise returns from production (Cotula et al., 2009). ...
... This development could be associated with what Cotula et al. (2009) view as a shift in the distribution of risks and returns within the agricultural value chains, by shifting risks downwards to the processors and distributors. By doing this, agriculture becomes a more attractive investment option as it aims to maximise returns from production (Cotula et al., 2009). ...
This study analyses SAGCOT ’s public-private partnership policy, which anticipated attracting external investors in large-scale nucleus farms to commercialise smallholder farmers. Data were collected from a review of SAGCOT policy documents, a compilation of SAGCOT registered partners and qualitative interview data collected from private companies, government officials, farmers and outgrower associations. The majority of SAGCOT registered commercial partners are small- to medium-scale and most of them were already operating in the area before SAGCOT was established. We conclude that the SAGCOT investment strategy, in practice, has been linked to small- to medium-scale operations and also mainly to already existing enterprises, which stand in contrast to the initially envisioned model of attracting new large-scale farming enterprises to the region. We argue that there is a need for SAGCOT and policy makers to learn from this dissonance between initial policy ambition and actual outcomes of SAGCOT public-private partnerships.
... A busca de uma vocação nos territórios que atraia o capital internacional, nesse sentido, passa a ser vista como um condicionante do desenvolvimento econômico em áreas rurais (Deininger;Byerlee, 2011). Mas, de outra perspectiva, emergem aspectos não tão positivos como a degradação ambiental, a negação do acesso das pessoas locais aos recursos naturais necessários para sua sobrevivência e a expropriação de terras (Cotula et al., 2009;Borras et al., 2014;Edelman et al., 2015;Sassen, 2016;Furtado et al., 2022). Delgado e Leite (2022) alertam para a progressiva reprimarização da economia brasileira. ...
O tema da estrangeirização de terras ganhou destaque no início do século XXI, acompanhando o crescente interesse do capital internacional pelos ativos fundiários e recursos naturais após a crise financeira de 2008. No Brasil, a estrangeirização dos imóveis rurais obteve espaço nos círculos políticos e midiáticos (além de se tornar objeto de pesquisas acadêmicas), chamando a atenção para os riscos que esse processo traria à soberania nacional, à garantia da segurança alimentar e, de forma mais geral, à sustentabilidade. O presente artigo procura refletir sobre os desafios teórico-metodológicos da estrangeirização de terras no Brasil contemporâneo, destacando os atores envolvidos (globais e regionais), os setores para os quais se dirigem esses investimentos e problematizando potenciais desdobramentos nos territórios. O enquadramento deste fenômeno em uma chave de leitura mais ampla como land grabbing (açambarcamento ou apropriação de terras) nos permite refletir sobre o fenômeno de uma perspectiva histórico-processual, sem perder de vista suas particularidades contemporâneas. Considerando as subnotificações nos dados oficiais do Estado brasileiro e as dificuldades de acesso a informações confiáveis, entre 2017 e 2020 analisamos 224 casos de empresas, companhias de capital aberto ou fundos de investimento, com participação de capital estrangeiro em sua composição, que são proprietários de terras ou controlam terra no Brasil, correspondendo a cerca de 9,1 milhões de hectares, número três vezes maior do que as estimativas oficiais.
... Since the 2007 food price crisis, there has been a notable increase in the frequency of large-scale land acquisitions in developing countries (Cotula 2009, Cotula et al. 2014, Deininger et al. 2011, including purchases and long-term (99-year) leases by external actors for agricultural production (food or biofuel production), timber harvesting, carbon trading mechanisms (such as REDD), mineral extraction, conservation, or tourism (Nolte et al. 2016 The ER-P area runs along the entirety of the country's rainforest-rich eastern coast, thus potentially overlapping with the Ambanitaza project site, depending on where the national, regional, and local (commune level) stakeholders tasked with implementing the projects choose to create REDD+ sites (World Bank 2020). If the stakeholders using World Bank ER-P decide to develop REDD+ projects that overlap with our project sites, including the Ambanitaza site, our project would not be additional. ...
Duke University aims to become carbon neutral by 2024 which means potentially offsetting up to 82,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. In partnership with the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative and Duke Lemur Center, we used a multidisciplinary analytical approach to inform the development of a Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) + Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) project in the SAVA region, Madagascar. The SAVA region is known for its vast amount of old growth forests, which have become increasingly deforested over the last twenty years. The goal of this carbon offset project is to reforest degraded forest sites, to increase carbon storage, and to offset some of Duke University's emissions. Our clients identified four project sites to be evaluated for carbon offset project activities. We assessed potential project activities in four sections. The first section of this project describes the methods used for creating deforestation threat maps, current land cover maps, and tracking historical land use and land cover trends. We created a land use and land cover map for two reference regions encompassing the four project sites. We analyzed land cover changes from 2009 to 2019 and combined the results with a deforestation threat map to predict future land cover changes. We used these results to establish the baseline scenario—the state of the project sites in ten years without project implementation. Sections two and three describe the methods for quantifying the change in carbon stocks under native forest restoration and agroforestry scenarios. Using local botanical data, allometric models, and baseline landcover maps, we estimated the carbon stocks in the baseline scenario on all project sites. We then predicted the total amount of carbon in each project site if reforested through native forest restoration and through several agroforestry practices. We used these results to assess carbon benefits in different project scenarios. Section four describes the methods for evaluating the additionality of project scenarios through barrier and common practice analyses. We conducted a literature review and collected information through key informant interviews to identify alternative land use scenarios that would discount the additionality of project activities. We then identified the barriers that would
prevent these scenarios. Based on the barriers to alternative land use scenarios, we determined whether the project scenarios would be additional in providing increases in carbon storage. We found that all four sites have the potential to provide carbon offsets through native forest restoration or agroforestry scenarios. However, further data collection and analysis will be necessary to verify the total reduction in emissions at each site under the chosen project activities. Additional analyses are also required as outlined by the REDD+ ARR methodology. If completed, this project would contribute to helping offset Duke University’s carbon emissions while restoring degraded landscapes in the SAVA region.
... We limit our analyses here to the food, beverages and tobacco industry without including agriculture. Indeed, as shown in the literature, official data about multinational activities in agriculture are likely to overlook the phenomenon because a large part of foreign land acquisitions occurs under informal arrangements (such as long-term leasing) which are not captured by the usual definition of multinationals (Cotula et al., 2009;Scoppola, 2021). on one hand, and domestic firms on the other. ...
Modern Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) include, among other chapters, ones concerning sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical barriers to trade (TBT). Drawing on recent literature highlighting the relationship between “deep” RTAs and the global organisation of production, this paper empirically investigates whether these SPS and TBT provisions affect multinational production in the food, beverages and tobacco industry. To this end, we combine two different databases to estimate, in a panel gravity framework, both the intensive and extensive margins of multinational production. Because the extensive margin of multinational production may be persistent, a dynamic probit specification is used. Our results show that legally enforceable SPS sections in RTAs, in particular, influence multinational production, though with a rather differentiated pattern in terms of intensive and extensive margins; further, the impact changes depending on the country of origin and destination.
... The phenomenon of large scale land control is not without serious consequences especially for victimized communities. Among these negative consequences, we note the loss of access to land by most local farmers and local com-munities, the unsatisfactory local food needs, recurrent tensions between investors and local populations, etc. (Cotula, Vermeulen, Leonard, and Keeley, 2009, p. 15 [32]; Leumako Nongni, December 2023 [33]). ...
... This recreates the already mentioned systems of oppression that are closely interlinked with race, class, gender and economic disparities (Juskus, 2023). As more powerful groups seek to reap the rewards and financial gains from these markets, access to land, land grabbing and land rights also continue to be contested issues (Cotula et al., 2009). ...
At the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi in September 2023, discussions about carbon trading dominated many conversations. Kenyan President William Ruto said Africa’s carbon sinks provide an “unparalleled economic goldmine” and called for “a new way of doing business.” Many commentators, however, believe the real winners in the carbon trading markets are the financial brokers in the developed countries who operate these controversial global markets.
... Agricultural landscapes in developing countries have come under immense pressure from increased interest by agribusiness enterprises and investments (Zoomers, 2010;GRAIN, 2015GRAIN, , 2016. Countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America as well as local and foreign companies continue to invest in agricultural land (Cotula et al., 2009). In some instances, the investors circumvent national laws and policies, exploit unequal power relations, capitalise on corruption and disrespect the tenure rights of local communities (Alden, 2012). ...
Water is a critical factor of production in agriculture and a highly sought-after resource by large-scale agricultural investors. However, it is rarely included in many land acquisition contracts that downplay the user rights of the adjacent communities. This study investigated the implications of LSAI on local communities' access to water and effects of human activities around LSAI on water quality. Data were collected from 388 respondents using a structured questionnaire and eight key informants were interviewed with the help of a question check list. Water samples were taken from five points located 200 meters apart along a 1,000 m transect on River Nyamukino. The samples were analysed in Public Health and Environmental Engineering Laboratory at Makerere University using the American Public Health Association protocols. Data were subjected to chi-square test and one-way ANOVA. Results revealed that activities on LSAI farms slightly affected water quality. Watering of livestock, lack of pit latrines and application of agro-chemicals on the LSAI farms further polluted water. Although water quality slightly declined, results of the laboratory tests revealed that the water quality parameters in the wet and dry seasons were within the limits of potable water in Uganda. The relationship between distance and walking time to water source was statistically significant (F=3.34; p=0.0332). There was a claim that a skin disease incidence was due to use of water polluted with agrochemicals. In this regard, it is recommended that activities of LSAI need to be regulated in conformity with the provisions of the Uganda National Environment Act 2019. Furthermore, studies are needed to establish the cause-effect relationship between agro-chemical pollution of water sources and the skin disease to guide future LSAI on-farm application of agro-chemicals.
... For example, the Mem community in the study serves as a remarkable and atypical instance where the chief has consistently opposed any form of illegal small-scale mining activities-an anomaly within Ghana's mining regions. Furthermore, chiefs have played a significant role in recent instances of land grabbing for commercial agricultural ventures in various districts of Ghana (Boamah, 2014;Cotula et al., 2009Cotula et al., , 2014. ...
The complex relationship between mining and agriculture in Africa is deeply rooted in a complex network of spatial, political, and socioeconomic dynamics. In Ghana, for instance, the forest agroecological zone, responsible for 57 % of food crop production, coincides with 61 % of mineral-rich areas. This overlap leads to significant implications, such as competition and conflicts over land, as both livelihood activities rely on a finite natural resource: land. To examine land access politics at the intersections of mining and agriculture using Ghana as a case study, we adopt a unique blend of Amartya Sen's capability approach and political ecology approach. Our study draws on secondary information, on-site observations, and primary data acquired from interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders in both sectors. Through the lens of political ecology, our research highlights the significant powers of state actors, especially in the mining sector, on land access, exacerbating tensions and conflicts among non-state actors like small-scale miners, smallholder farmers, and traditional authorities. Additionally, by applying the capability approach, we uncover the diverse agency-driven strategies employed by non-state actors, sometimes operating outside existing laws, and we emphasize the competitive dynamics between small-scale miners and smallholder farmers as they vie for land resources to support their economic activities. We therefore argue that the spatial and socioeconomic interconnectedness of mining and agriculture is rife with dramatic tensions underpinned by unequal power relations and a hierarchical structure of actors within the two sectors, with potential for zero-sum or worse than zero-sum outcomes for humans and the physical environment at multiple scales.
... all continents, most notably in Africa(Anku et al., 2021). However, De Schutter (2016) andCotula et al. (2009) declare that land deals reported in the international press and which enter statistics, only constitute a tip of the iceberg. The factors affecting the commercialization of land are said to be rapid growth of economies in both the developing and developed countries, introduction of new technologies, market expansion, market liberalization, urbanization, rapid increase of demand for food, decreasing of farming population, liberalized and open economic policies, bilateral and has never been a mere commodity throughout the history of mankind. ...
Increase in multiple demands for land in Africa has been affected by increased global food and energy requirements together with population growth. This has in turn led to large-scale acquisition of lands for agriculture by foreigners and wealthy local investors. Small holder farmers are at risk of losing their lands to the investors even if they receive government support. What the African indigenous tradition has seen to be a gift of God to man is now commoditized. This often marginalizes the local people, undermines their livelihood. Information on the factors and actors in land commoditization is inadequate and often withheld. The paper sets out to identify these actors and factors. The Bolga Municipality is used as an example because the area carries all the characteristics that can be found throughout most of Africa. Data was gathered using key informant interviews, focus discussion and secondary sources.
The findings of the study reveal the following factors which urge people to sell their lands:
The need to pay school fees, people’s desire to build and live in decent houses, the need to expense money to uphold the tradition of resplendently celebrating funerals or to raise funds for the dowry of a bride, the fact that owners of small land parcels are often unemployed.
To solve the issues better information on the issue is needed as well as purposeful job-creation to decrease unemployment and socially adequate mortgages.
If the government does not take up the problem, social cohesion will fall apart.
... The most recent farm legislation in India are contextualized in this essay within the broader political economy of neoliberal reforms that started in 1991. It contends that class is a major factor in India's agrarian discontent and that the present farmer protests must grow into a larger movement centered on social justice [3]. This paper's primary goal is to investigate how the nation's agriculture sector is affected by the recently passed farm laws and how this affects the GDP and the overall economy. ...
With a focus on two main areas, this article examines the recent agricultural reforms in India and their effects on the industry and economy. Specifically, it looks at the three farm laws in depth, weighing their advantages and disadvantages, and draws comparisons with the economic changes of 1991. These regulations are set against the backdrop of India's changing economic landscape, which has been characterized by class disputes in agriculture and inequities between urban and rural areas since the 1990s. The objectives of the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce Act, 2020 are to decrease middlemen and increase market access. Potential effects on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system are the main source of concern. Modernizing farming processes, lowering risks, and promoting comprehensive crop production agreements are the goals of the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Service Act, 2020. Among the difficulties are a lack of literacy among farmers and differences in the contractual parties' capacities. The Essential Commodities Act, 2020 modifies the essential goods regulation system with the goal of minimizing government involvement while guaranteeing a steady supply of essentials. Its dynamic nature and potential for consumer abuse give rise to concerns. Regarding rice marketing, these regulations could affect individual rice varieties, increase farmers' market access and autonomy, remove storage ceilings, and mostly help rice growers. To fully comprehend the complex effects of these farm regulations on India's agriculture and economy, more study and analysis are necessary.
... Meanwhile, in terms of the centrality of a future dialogue on whether value chain integration increases smallholder resilience during the pandemic, we emphasise previous arguments about the role and important of outgrower schemes as important avenues through which smallholders can have guaranteed access to inputs, information and markets (Cotula et al., 2009;Hall et al., 2017;Vicol, 2017). It turns out this feature is very crucial during the pandemic. ...
This paper asks whether value chain integration increases smallholder resilience during shocks. Using a qualitative research study design and the test case of the ‘sugar‐belt’ in Zambia, the paper draws on interviews with participants from different stakeholder groups, including household case studies and group discussions. Results show sugarcane value chain integration enhances smallholder livelihood resilience during pandemics through its coordination arrangement, but more could be done. Indirect involvement in, and joint procurement processes of inputs between smallholders and the management company, existing ready and stable access to markets and access to Fairtrade relief funds that point to direct livelihood support proved crucial for strengthening smallholder livelihood resilience during the pandemic. There were COVID‐19‐related adjustments by the management company, which further increased smallholder support. However, in as much as coordination arrangements seemed to have worked well during COVID‐19, smallholder livelihoods remained narrow and risky, raising the need for diversification that could strengthen sustainable resilience. This paper sheds light on how value chains could be organised to enhance pandemic recovery and build livelihood resilience. It helps us to reflect on the ‘(in)effectiveness’ of value chain institutions and the role and importance of smallholder coordination arrangements during pandemics. Ultimately, the result is a contribution to livelihood resilience thinking in value chains—one we hope is appropriate to our conjuncture.
... One of the key challenges of global land tenure is the issue of land grabbing, where large-scale land acquisitions by foreign investors or governments dispossess local communities of their land and resources. Land grabbing has become a major issue in many developing countries, where weak legal frameworks and corrupt governance systems have allowed powerful interests to exploit vulnerable communities (Cotula et al, 2009). Another challenge of global land tenure is the lack of secure land rights for women and other marginalized groups. ...
Rwanda has established a legal and institutional framework for land administration, ensuring all citizens’ equal land rights. However, gender inequality may still exist in household land ownership, with women facing cultural and social barriers to accessing and securing land for economic development. It is in this context that a study consisting of assessing women's access to credit using land lease certificates and the socio-economic benefits derived from the use of acquired credit was carried out in Cyabagarura cell, Musanze sector, Musanze District. The research has four specific objectives, namely, to analyze women's access to credit using land lease certificates, investigate the socio-economic benefits delivered from the use of acquired credit, identify the key barriers that women face in accessing credit using land lease certificates, and provide recommendations for improving women's access to credit using land lease certificates. The study uses a mixed-methods research design, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. The snowball and purposive sampling techniques were applied in collecting data through questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews administered to 30 legally married women currently in the Cyabagarura cell. The findings show that out of the 30 interviewed respondents, 19 could access credit through land collateralization, 3 lacked the confidence to apply, and 2 were unaware of the process. The remaining 6 wanted to access credit but could not do so. This study’s findings reveal that women who did not use the land for credit faced several barriers to accessing credit, including cultural and social norms, gender inequality, and a lack of good relationships between wives and their husbands. However, access to credit using land lease certificates has provided significant socio-economic benefits to women in the cell, including increased income, improved livelihoods, and enhanced social status. The study recommends several mechanisms for improving women's access to credit using land lease certificates, including awareness raising, encouraging couples to attend marriage counseling, workshops or seminars that focus on building healthy relationships, engaging with community leaders to challenge harmful cultural norms and stereotypes, enforcing laws and policies that prohibit discrimination based on gender, and promoting gender diversity in all areas of society. Addressing these challenges makes it possible to create an enabling environment that promotes gender equality and women's economic empowerment in the Cyabagarura cell.
... The Kilombero settlement and agricultural scheme was then promoted and sustained for its political more than economic value (Jackson, 2021). Present investments in outgrowing schemes, developed in the same areas (Sulle and Smalley, 2015a) can be read in continuity with these efforts, while representing an attempt to find an alternative to land grabbing typical of large scale land acquisitions and proposing a model in which farmers, at least on paper, can be included (Cotula, 2009;von Braun and Meinzen-Dick, 2009;cf. Little and Watts, 1994;Oya, 2013). ...
The discourse of transformation, as currently adopted in policy arenas, has given scarce attention to diverse knowledges, plural pathways, and politics. Narratives about change and agricultural transformation in African landscapes are diverse. However, failure to recognise diversity among narratives of the predominant food producers—smallholder farmers—in planning and policy processes limits potential to achieve just agricultural transformation. To progress understanding on diverse knowledges, plural pathways, and politics of agricultural transformation in this paper we present smallholder visions of future farms and their narratives of agricultural transformation in an African landscape subject to rapid ecological and livelihood change. We present smallholder narratives of transformation alongside those promoted by national and private-sector blueprints, and critically reflect on the social justice of transformation. From nine participatory workshops conducted with smallholder farmers in the northern Kilombero Valley of the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), four main narratives of transformation were identified: (1) land ownership, (2) expansion of agricultural activities, (3) diversification, and (4) access to water for irrigation. The view of transformation presented by smallholders appears incompatible with national blueprint policies and plans. Despite “win-win” narratives of transformation and the outgrower scheme approach to expansion of sugarcane cultivation promoted by SAGCOT, the national government and the Kilombero Sugar Company, we found that land ownership and expansion remains challenging for smallholders in the present and represents a key aspiration for the future, along with diversification and access to adequate amounts of water for irrigation. These visions of bigger, more diverse farms with access to water, are not necessarily compatible with the expansion of sugarcane cultivation in the area and does not appear, as yet, to be sufficiently recognised in sugarcane expansion plans, creating potential to exacerbate injustice. Given this lack of recognition, smallholders advocate for a stronger role in protecting their interests as citizens in relation to the SAGCOT private-public partners. We demonstrate the need for greater effort among actors in rural African landscapes to realise and recognise the diversity and contextuality of envisaged desirable futures in plans and polices, and the importance of progressing understanding on inclusive planning and policy-making processes to achieve inclusive negotiation leading to more just transformation pathways.
... ons mainly by private investors but also by public investors and agribusiness that buy farmland or lease it on a long-term basis to produce agricultural commodities. There are factors that led to these land acquisitions. These include food security concerns, particularly in investor countries, which are a key driver of government-backed investment (Lorenzo, et. al, 2009). ...
Most lands in Africa are claimed and managed by indigenous peoples and local communities. But it is disheartening that most African governments do not seem to recognize the rights of these customary landowners. This will give room for the proliferation of poverty, rights abuses, land grabs, and land disputes. Securing land rights has been a priority of the international development sector for decades, Nigeria not being an exception. However, the current solutions to delivering land administration services have very limited global outreach; 75 percent of the world's population does not have access to formal systems to register and safeguard their land rights. The majority of these are the poor and the most vulnerable in society. This paper suggests the adoption of Geospatial technology such as remote sensing, GIS, plane tabling, taping, etc where applicable, and the use of scalable and cloud-free high-resolution imageries for field verification of land rights with the participatory efforts of community members and land professionals to resolve the conflicts about land holdings. The integration of the cloud-sourced data and harmonization of data acquired in the field is a resultant total coverage which is a fit-for-purpose approach envisaged by the Federation of International Geomatician (FIG).
... Half (50%) of the respondents acknowledged that commercial farming offers employment to some people in close proximity to commercial farm areas (Fig. 3). As reported in literature, employment is a potential outcome of agricultural commercialisation [20,49]. Commercial farming on an industrial-scale requires lots of skilled and non-skilled labourers resulting in the creation of employment [50]. ...
In Ghana, large-scale commercial farming is one of the strategies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1 and 2). However, large-scale commercial farms have negative environmental consequences that undermine the attainment of SDGs13 and 15 at different scales. This study examined the effects of large-scale commercial farms on woody species diversity and livelihoods of the inhabitants in the Mion District. Interviews using structured questionnaires, Remote Sensing and GIS methods and vegetation survey techniques were employed in data collection and analysis. The results revealed commercial farming offered employment and community support to inhabitants. Notwithstanding, commercial farming has reduced the available arable land for small-scale farmers. The landuse landcover analysis indicated close woodland areas (14.9%) had transformed to farm lands which now cover nearly half of the district's landmass (44.9%) since 2015. This has resulted in an estimated loss of 19, 117, 837 individual trees, shrubs and saplings of savanna woody species in the 12,084.6 ha of sampled commercial farms surveyed. The study concludes that large commercial farms causes deforestation and limits small-scale farmers' access to arable land. The study recommends the formulation of policies by stakeholders to help moderate the size of arable land leased out to large-scale farmers at the expense of small-scale farmers.
... However, FDI inflow offers necessary opportunities for technology advancement and knowledge which can lead to production growth; elements like the host economy's less absorptive capability, the costly outline of the learning duration, and possible negative ecological effects can add to a decrease in production. In addition, international financiers are considered land occupiers, which delays domestic productivity and weakens the food shield due to extensive water consumption and chemical substances and compost, which causes natural depletion (Cotula et al. 2009). ...
Global warming is a life-threatening risk to mankind and its survival; to combat this risk, the considerable contribution of renewable energy cannot be overlooked for sustainable growth globally. The aim of this paper is to scrutinize the threshold level and asymmetric connection among renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, financial inclusion, and agricultural productivity in dissimilar regimes of the different income levels of 123 countries from 1995 to 2019 by applying an advance technique PSTR (panel smooth transition regression) model. The PSTR model results imply that the connection between renewable energy consumption and agricultural productivity at all the estimates is non-linear. Moreover, in all countries, there is a positive and significant connection among renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, financial inclusion, and agricultural productivity in both low and high regimes, except the carbon emission, which has a negative and significant impact on agricultural productivity. Based on the results of this study, the recommendations are as follows: (i) to increase renewable energy consumption, efficient-energy resources should be used by farmers for the agricultural process; (ii) the dependence on non-renewable energy resources should be minimized and shifted towards natural and renewable resources.
... Nous sommes peut-ê tre à la veille d"un tournant historique. Cet article s"inscrit dans le dé bat enfié vré entre ceux qui pensent que la vague d"accaparement de terres et d"investissements que nous avons dé crite comporte pour les pays en voie de dé veloppement des bé né fices potentiels qui mé ritent d"ê tre souligné s et ceux qui estiment qu"il faut au contraire bloquer la diffusion de ce modè le alié nant pour les populations locales concerné es (Cotula, Vermeulen, Leonard, & Keeley, 2009). En tout cas, le trè s grand dé sé quilibre entre les forces sur le terrain exige au moins une ré gulation des né gociations de sorte que les investissements apportent aussi quelques avantages aux populations locales. ...
Le lien millénaire qui relie la Chine-Afrique jouit d’une position privilégiée dans la diplomatie chinoise depuis la proclamation de la République populaire de Chine en 1949. Le continent africain est considéré à la fois comme un terrain d’expérimentation, mais également comme un lieu privilégié pour mettre en scène le « rêve chinois » d’exportation d’un modèle socialiste de développement. De fait, la Chine tisse des relations avec les peuples africains grâce à une intense diplomatie publique. Rachats de vignobles, d’usines agroalimentaires ou encore construction de centres de démonstration agricole en Afrique, les investissements agricoles chinois se manifestent sous des formes variées. La Chine accaparerait des millions d’ha de terres en Afrique pour garantir ses besoins alimentaires. Apparu en 2008, le terme « accaparement des terres » ou « Land Grabbing » en anglais, désigne une acquisition controversée de terres agricoles de grande superficie par des entreprises transnationales et gouvernementales. Cette technique a été utilisée avec succès par les États-Unis au XIXe siècle pour constituer leur nation, puis par les nations européennes pour construire leurs fragiles empires coloniaux, puis par des magnats américains sur des millions d’ha en Amazonie pour des projets, tous tombés en faillite. Le land grab chinois en Afrique est un « contresens » politique et un non-sens économique, une fausse nouvelle utilisée pour dénigrer un pays. Accueilli à bras ouverts par certains agriculteurs qui y voient la promesse de nouveaux débouchés commerciaux ou vécu par d’autres comme un accaparement des ressources, l’intérêt de la Chine pour les secteurs agricoles et agroalimentaires particulièrement vivace depuis 2009, prouve bien leur caractère hautement stratégique. On parle depuis quelques années des achats de terres agricoles en Afrique par des acteurs chinois. De tels investissements sont souvent désignés par l’expression Land Grab qui suggère d’emblée une agression. Il s’agirait, ni plus ni moins, de partir à l’assaut des terres africaines. Comment définir ce Land Grab ? Quelle est la place du Land Grab chinois en Afrique ? Devant un pareil objectif, il parait opportun de s’interroger sur la nature du modèle de « Land Grab » chinois en Afrique. La collecte des données combine à la fois méthode qualitative et quantitative.
... For this reason, land is both political and economic and has consequences on both. At individual and social levels, land is connected to identity, memory, and culture and influences individual/group social, political, and customary ties (Cotula et al. 2009). In Africa, land is intertwined with customs, traditions, and values. ...
... The community (women) could benefit (employment) where the government has developed capacities to handle such land deals. Cotula (2009) acknowledged the potentials of large-scale agricultural investments. Still, they warned that these might not be handy if host governments (or community leaders) fail to build capacities to negotiate better terms for their people. ...
This study examines how large-scale agricultural investments (LSAIs) affect employment outcomes of femaleheaded
households in Nigeria. It focuses on wage income and labour allocations of households in communities where LSAIs occurred in comparison with households in communities where LSAIs did not occur. It engages mixed method approach, which involves the quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative data was sourced from the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA), which was analysed using Propensity Score Matching (PSM). The qualitative analysis entails in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). The results show a positive relationship with the household income living in communities with LSAIs, but a negative association with labour allocation to agricultural activities. Also, the findings indicate that households in communities where LSAIs took place received higher wages and spent fewer hours in agriculture. Though, female-headed households spent more time on agricultural activities than the male-headed households, they earn less. The analysis from the qualitative study show, among others things, that female-headed households spent more time on off-farm business despite the fact that they earn less. The study concludes by recommending that the possible adverse employment effects of LSAIs could be reduced by optimising its positive impact, especially with respect to female-headed households in rural communities where most of such investments occur.
We argue that Western media advance two main interpretations of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The first suggests that the BRI is primarily motivated by China's geopolitical ambitions. The second contends that the initiative creates “debt traps” for developing countries, hiding the true size of the debt while aiming at the seizure of the infrastructure it builds. We challenge both claims by reviewing critically the existing literature on the BRI. We posit that rather than geopolitical, China's primary motivation has been to promote the development of its western provinces, transforming landlocked areas into land linked ones. Moreover, most of the existing literature neglects the fact that the need for infrastructure development across various continents is well documented by respective regional banks. The dominant “debt trap” narrative is also refuted by several scholars, together with the hypothesis of “asset seizure” and other related critiques. The article concludes that, if anything, geopolitical motivations (particularly tensions between the US and China) are at the root of the negative narrative surrounding the BRI, rather than at the origin of the BRI itself.
Celem artykułu jest próba prześledzenia pewnego procesu, który charakteryzuje współczesne rolnictwo, a który w literaturze przedmiotu określony bywa mianem „zawłaszczania ziemi”. Istotą jego jest przejmowanie na własność lub choćby tylko poddawanie kontroli określonych obszarów, które zakwalifikowane zostały jako tereny rolnicze. Wiodący aktorzy na globalnej scenie ponowoczesnego kapitalizmu dostrzegli w kontroli samych procesów produkcji rolnej ważny element kontroli światowego systemu ekonomicznego i ogromne źródło zysków. Jak staraliśmy się wykazać, uruchomiło to na skalę globalną rozmaite negatywne zjawiska i procesy społeczne, takie jak np. marginalizacja i wykluczenie całych społeczności wiejskich i rolniczych. Prowadzi to do zjawisk, które określić można mianem „nowego ubóstwa wiejskiego” i rodzi nową postać niezrównoważonych, opartych na wyzysku i dominacji relacji społecznych i ekonomicznych (klasowych). Proces ten próbujemy analizować w kontekście teorii postmodernizacji, wskazującej na cztery jego aspekty, jakimi są: hiperracjonalizacja, hiperutowarowienie, hiperzróżnicowanie oraz hiperindywidualizacja. Współczesne ponowoczesne rolnictwo to zatem nie tylko przejawy postproduktywistycznej aktywności czy rozwoju zrównoważonego, ale także efekt procesów postmodernizacji prowadzących do dynamicznego rozwoju kapitalizmu o „brzydkiej twarzy”, niezrównoważonej gospodarki zasobami naturalnymi (spośród których ziemia jest tym fundamentalnym zasobem) i gigantycznych zyskach, generowanych dzięki coraz to większej asymetrii wiedzy, władzy, czy własności.
Artykuł 17 Powszechnej Deklaracji Praw Człowieka mówi: „1. Każdy człowiek, zarówno sam jak i wespół z innymi, ma prawo do posiadania własności. 2. Nie wolno nikogo samowolnie pozbawiać jego własności.” Celem prezentacji jest ukazanie i analiza zjawiska land grabbingu (grabieży ziemi) mającego miejsce przede wszystkim w państwach o wątpliwej jakości instytucjonalnej, bardzo często państwach upadłych (failed states), zawieranych przez podmioty państw trzecich, korporacje zagraniczne, w tym ponadnarodowe. Koniec pierwszej dekady XXI wieku przyniósł światu - poza kryzysem ekonomicznym i kryzysem żywnościowym - zjawisko wielkoobszarowego zawłaszczania lub przejmowania kontroli nad ziemiami uprawnymi przez podmioty zagraniczne. Najczęściej transakcje te zawierane były (i nadal są) z pogwałceniem lub z pominięciem prawa. Nowość zjawiska, przy braku regulacji prawnych oraz niedostatecznej kontroli ze strony instytucji międzynarodowych prowadzi do wystąpienia pokusy nadużycia (moral hazard) w postaci odbierania praw własności do ziem lokalnym producentom (grabieży), pozbawiania ich prawa do dysponowania płodami rolnymi, często prowadząc do pogłębienia wykluczenia społecznego. Proceder gromadzenia ziemi w rękach niewielkiej liczby obcych właścicieli rodzi zagrożenie wyzysku i upośledzenia ekonomicznego pozostałych członków społeczeństwa. Ewolucja zjawiska land grabbingu i przyłączenie się do niego korporacji finansowych państw zachodnich grozi dodatkowo przeniesieniem infekcji spekulacyjnej na państwa trzecie i rozprzestrzenieniem się bańki spekulacyjnej na kolejne rynki - tym razem znajdujące się w najbiedniejszych państwach świata. Prezentacja zajmie się analizą wspomnianych zjawisk, ich ewolucją oraz konsekwencjami dla państw przyjmujących i całej gospodarki światowej.
This paper has investigated an empirical study to consider the impact of supply chain management on small scale integrated commercial agriculture by focusing on the moderator role of impediments and obligations to offer solutions for agricultural policymakers, planners, and decision-makers. The target group was 423 small-scale rice farmers in Gilan province, and their data was collected by questionnaire. The results of path analysis show that supply chain management has an impact on obligations (β = 0.641). Also, both impediments and obligations affect small scale integrated commercial agriculture (β = 0.879) (β = 0,971). This work showed that supply chain management must try to enforce the obligations of small scale integrated commercial agriculture, also eliminate impediments of small scale integrated commercial agriculture until it could provide small-scale commercial farming benefits.
Corruption, poverty, unemployment, and weak economic institutions are seen in many migration discussions as causes of postcolonial African migration to the West. Many researchers argue that Africa is exposed to the neocolonial capitalist economic system. Accordingly, Africa as a junior partner is not able to shape the global economic structure for itself. While it is fair to argue that colonialism and global economic structures have caused massive and long-lasting damage to Africa, however, Africa’s home-made poor economic governance structures cannot be ignored. Neocolonialism is a poor argument to explain current African socio-economic problems. Africa’s problems are primarily caused by the free choice of African poor economic decision-makers. This chapter explores the counterproductivity of the African victim-mentality, self-pitying, blame-someone-else, and scapegoating ultimately leading to emigration.
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Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi discutir as alterações na apropriação da terra e da água em perspectiva regional. Especificamente, analisa-se as mudanças no uso do solo, o aumento da irrigação e as modificações na estrutura fundiária concomitantemente ao avanço do agronegócio a partir do final da década de 1980 na Região do Alto Paranapanema em São Paulo, que é formada por 44 municípios que constituem a região da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Paranapanema. A metodologia consistiu em levantamento e discussão de material cartográfico, análises da variação do número de estabelecimentos de agricultura familiar e espacialização de informações sobre os Índices de Gini da distribuição de terras calculados para cada município da região a partir de dados censitários. Os resultados apontam que a expansão do agronegócio na Região do Alto Paranapanema, associada a modificações no uso da terra e da água, mostra-se parte de um processo que reduziu a quantidade de estabelecimentos de agricultura familiar, aumentando a concentração fundiária ou, quando menos, mantendo o Índice de Gini em altos patamares ao longo do período estudado. Palavras-chave: Agronegócio; Apropriação de terra e água; Irrigação; Índice de Gini.
Climate change and food security nowadays are global major issues due to their direct and indirect impacts on humans’ lives and their daily life affairs. Thus, these impacts have stimulated several organizations and authorities at all levels to seriously consider such issues in their deliberations and decisions in a way or another. In line with such widespread concerns, the Saudi authorities have also decisively taken these issues into considerations in the country’s 2030 strategic vision that was announced in detail on 25 April 2016 by the Royal Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Among the major objectives of the 2030 Saudi vision is to carry full responsibilities towards the participation in combating negative impacts of climate change on local and international levels as well as the achievement of the national food security. This chapter therefore is intended to shed lights on the situations of both climate change and food security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is therefore this chapter aims to thoroughly discuss food security under climate change scenario in the KSA. The chapter is structured to provide some general perspectives on the KSA and its agricultural sector, food security and its status in KSA, and climate change including specific thoughts on its situations and future expectations and its impact on the food security in Saudi Arabia.
The renewed interest in land, especially after the 2007-2008 global financial crises, has led to land being viewed as a new strategic asset. The drivers of this rush, sometimes referred to as 'land grabs', are contested, as are its actors and scale, creating a fierce debate between activists, academics and politicians. This battlefield of competing claims on methods and evidence sometimes espouse the blurred lines of 'North' and 'South'. In this context, assessing the available literature is a difficult but critical step if the current knowledge-building efforts are to be sustained. This paper argues that what is known about 'land grabs' is the outcome of how it is known. To ascertain this, this paper firstly seeks to review the existing body of knowledge and then questions the politics of methods to understand why not much is known, using evidence from Senegal.
El acaparamiento de tierras (land grabbing) refiere al proceso de adquisiciones a gran escala de tierras agrícolas en otros estados, desatado en el contexto de la convergencia de crisis internacionales —alimentaria, energética, financiera y climática— de 2008. Este artículo analiza las razones que convirtieron al acaparamiento de tierras en un fenómeno global, irreductible a la lógica Norte-Sur. Adicionalmente, indaga sus implicaciones sobre la posición internacional y definición del Sur Global. En base al marxismo ecológico, se argumenta que el acaparamiento de tierras se enraíza en la dinámica capitalista que convierte a la tierra en esencial para la acumulación. La causa de ello es que representa una respuesta a la redefinición del poder global, con nuevos actores compitiendo por el acceso a bienes naturales escasos en un contexto de crisis múltiples. Al mismo tiempo, la participación de grandes poderes del Sur en este proceso contribuye a reproducir dentro del Sur Global patrones de explotación y despojo de la naturaleza similares a las del Norte. Para ello se estudia el proyecto de China en Xai-Xai, Mozambique.
This chapter studies the effects of large firms on economic development, using evidence from one of the largest multinationals of the twentieth century: the United Fruit Company (UFCo). We first focus on Costa Rica, where the firm was given a large land concession between 1899 and 1984. Using historical records along with census data, we find that the UFCo had a positive and long-lasting impact on living standards in the regions where it operated. Moreover, satellite data shows that regions within the concession’s boundary are more luminous at night—which is associated with higher income levels—than those outside the UFCo region even today. Historical accounts suggest that investments in local amenities carried out by the UFCo to attract workers are the main drivers behind its positive effects. The chapter then discusses the role of institutions and labor mobility in determining the UFCo’s effect, and how it might differ in other Latin American countries.
Chapter 3 provides a critical review of the global displacement and resettlement programmes including development-induced displacement and resettlement, environmental resettlement, and poverty alleviation resettlement. Typical cases across the world related to these three types of displacement and resettlement programmes are presented in this chapter, which contributes to a comprehensive understanding on China’s poverty alleviation resettlement programme, particularly for the international readers.
The sustainable development of agriculture is not only dependent on economics and policy but also relies on decisions to increase sustainability through either (1) specialization (e.g., sustainable intensification) or (2) diversification (e.g., ecological intensification). Understanding the historical context of the region being evaluated is critical to selecting ideal development strategies. Depending on the emphasis on either specialization or diversification, sustainable development can follow different pathways. Specialization during agricultural development is typically concentrated in specific geographic areas with comparative advantages in terms of agricultural production. However, tradeoffs to agricultural specialization include greater reliance on purchased external inputs, greater dependence on government support, and international and interregional interdependence. Addressing the economic and environmental challenges of specialized agricultural production requires a focus on detailed models and field experiments to help balance productivity with reduced environmental impacts. Diversification can incorporate both enterprise diversification as well as ecological intensification strategies, such as integrating livestock and agroforestry with crops. Despite the promises of maintaining the diversity of small shareholders in the developing world, challenges remain. Regional case studies can be used to inspire and implement diversified agricultural systems for the creation of more sustainable future food systems around the world.
Analysant un échantillon de 32 pays d’Afrique subsaharienne sur la période 2000-2018, cette étude montre que la ruée vers les terres réduit la sécurité alimentaire à travers une baisse de la production céréalière et une hausse de la malnutrition. Codes JEL : Q15.
Indonesia merupakan salah satu negara di dunia dengan laju perubahan tata guna lahan yang cukup tinggi. Kondisi tersebut ditandai dengan laju deforestrasi baik disebabkan oleh pemberian konsesi penebangan hutan maupun pembangunan perkebunan sawit skala luas. Proses akuisisi tanah dan penyingkiran petani tidak hanya disebabkan oleh prosesproses pelibatan investasi korporasi namun dapat terjadi di tingkat komunitas. Dari hasil pengkajian di salah satu desa di Sulawesi Tengah menunjukkan proses akumulasi lahan saat terjadi booming kakao menyebabkan perbedaan status ekonomi semakin melebar antar warga dalam satu desa. Praktik perkebunan menunjukkan penyerapan rendah terhadap tenaga kerja lokal sekitar perkebunan. Hal ini menjadikan petani sekitar putus hubungan dengan tanah menjadi tenaga kerja bebas. Selain itu juga tidak terintegrasinya ekonomi warga dengan sistem ekonomi perkebunan dan pada saat yang bersamaan tekanan akan kebutuhan pekerjaan berbasis tanah kian mendorong petani menggarap areal perkebunan. Fakta menurunnya minat pemuda pedesaan yang bekerja di pertanian muncul karena semakin jauhnya pengetahuan pertanian, penurunan kualitas pertanian dan kehidupan di desa, perampasan lahan oleh korporasi besar dan sulitnya akses terhadap lahan.Kata Kunci: lahan,desa,pemuda.
As new mechanisms for ‘reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation’ (REDD) are being negotiated in international climate change talks, resource tenure must be given greater attention. Tenure over land and trees – the systems of rights, rules, institutions and processes regulating their access and use – will affect the extent to which REDD and related strategies will benefit, or marginalise, forest communities.
This report aims to promote debate on the issue. Drawing on experience from seven rainforest countries (Brazil, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guyana, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea), the report develops a typology of tenure regimes across countries, explores tenure issues in each country, and identifies key challenges to be addressed if REDD is to have equitable and sustainable impact.
In this paper we provide a systematic analysis of the size and composition of China's outward FDI in 2003-2005. Despite the attention given to China's recent outward FDI and the prospect that it will continue to surge upward, its investment flows and stocks were smaller than those of some small industrial economies and some emerging developing economies as of 2005. The bulk of China's FDI was made by firms owned by or associated with different levels of governments, including its largest multinational companies. By the end of 2005, business services accounted for the largest share of China's outward FDI stock (28.9%), to be followed by wholesale and retail, mining and petroleum, transportation and storage, and manufacturing. The true breakdown of the destination of China's FDI was basically unknown because a predominant share of its FDI in recently years was made in the world's tax havens, An empirical analysis reveals that the host economies' GDP had a positive impact whereas their respective distances from China had a negative impact on attracting FDI from China. Their per capita GDP had no impact on FDI flows but a negative impact on FDI stocks. Cultural proximity was a positive factor in attracting China's FDI to the host economies that speak the Chinese language. China's future FDI outflows are forecast based on its own past experience, international experience, and Japan and South Korea's experience with FDI outflows. Our baseline forecasts based on the experience of many FDI source economies indicate that China's aggregate FDI outflow will reach US30 billion in the early 2010's, and US$50 billion by 2015. In more optimistic forecasts based on the experience of Japan and South Korea, the first two thresholds will be reached one year earlier and the third threshold will be reached five years earlier.
Massive changes are taking place in the geography of agricultural production in response to the creation of buyer-driven supply chains, governed by non-agricultural sectors and driven by global sourcing and advances in processing and transportation technologies. At the same time, we are witnessing a divergence between and within agriculturally dependent rural economies, North and South. The simultaneous integration and exclusion of communities with respect to agri-food systems mirrors the emergence of thedual economy across the farming world. A global division of labour separates a core – the Rural World 1 – from a majority of flexible and casualised smallholders, family farmers and farmworkers.
Markets are undergoing rapid change, with closed commodity chains rapidly replacing wholesale or spot markets. Highly concentrated food processing, retail and food service industries at the end of these chains are having an increasingly important impact on decisions made on the farm. Downstream processors and retailers are demanding stringent levels of quality, compliance with standards and codes of conduct and post-production service from their suppliers. Whether an apple grower in Kent, or a coffee producer in Peru, the major supermarket chains control access to consumers. The transition of sections of the agri-food system towards co-ordinated supply is proving to be a powerful driver of divergence within farm communities, and of alienation of producers from the value of their product. Primary economic benefits are increasingly found in areas outside of production. The less money that is available to farming, the less opportunities there are to invest in diversified, sustainable systems.
The sustainable agriculture movement has been slow to appreciate these developments, and this is reflected in the production focus and public sector focus of Agenda 21. Being realistic about sustainability requires an appreciation of where control lies in the agrifood chain, and the rapid shift in balance of power from the state to the firm.
Small farmers are defending their interests under these systems. The right conditions of government policy, information technology, farmer organisation and corporate responsibility can support fair trade between agribusiness and small farmers, and additionally improve quality and consistency of product. The survival of rural areas at the margins, in the competition for a global pool of capital, depends on the creation of those conditions without delay.
"This report draws lessons from experience of using legal processes to secure local resource rights within the context of foreign investment projects in Africa. Security of local resource rights is a major challenge in many parts of Africa. The analysis of relevant law reveals that resource rights associated with more powerful interests (foreign investment) tend to enjoy greater legal protection compared to those held by local resource users. However, legal tools accompanied by adequate capacity-building efforts can help redress this imbalance and strengthen protection of local resource rights. By increasing local resource control, effective use of these tools can help disadvantaged groups gain greater control over their lives ('legal empowerment'). The report will be of interest to development lawyers, development practitioners working at a macro-planning level, and researchers. The report sets out the case for taking law seriously as a tool for empowerment and positive change, it also argues that designing and implementing legal tools that deliver positive change depend not only on sound legal thinking, but also on tackling power relations and other social, cultural, political and economic factors that affect the way the law operates in practice. The report also contributes to ongoing debates on the relationship between law and power, through developing a conceptual framework and through linking this to the empirical analysis of law and power issues within foreign investment projects in Africa."
This paper examines the recent decentralization of governance in Indonesia and its impact on local infrastructure provision. The decentralization of decisionmaking power to local jurisdictions in Indonesia may have improved the matching of public infrastructures provision with local preferences. However, decentralization has made local public infrastructures depend on local resources. Due to differences in initial endowments, this may result in the divergence of local public infrastructures in rich and poor jurisdictions. Using data from village-level panel surveys conducted in 1996, 2000, and 2006, this paper finds that (1) local public infrastructures depend on local resources, (2) decentralization has improved the availability of local public infrastructures, (3) local jurisdictions are converging to a similar level of local public infrastructure, and (4) to some extent, decentralized public infrastructures' provision reflects local preferences.
The way jurisdiction over land is distributed among members of a community has a powerful influence over how efficiently land is used, the incidence of poverty, and the level of inequality in the community. Yet much land in less developed countries is underutilized and/or misused from a sustainability standpoint: lack of access to land or unfavorable terms of access remain a fundamental cause of poverty. In addition, unmet demands for land can be a source of political destabilization. At the same time, there presently exist unusual opportunities to reopen the issue of access to land. They include an increasing concern with the efficiency costs of inequality in land distribution, devolution of common property resource management to users, large scale redefinitions of property rights in the context of transition economies in Eastern and central Europe and the end of white rule in South Africa, liberalization of land markets, mounting pressure to deal with environmental issues, the proliferation of civil society organizations voicing the demands of the rural poor, and more democratic forms of governance. Much attention has been given to state-led redistributive land reforms. Other channels include inheritance and inter-vivos transfers, intrahousehold and intracommunity land allocations, community titling of open access resources, the distribution of common property resources and the individualization of rights, decollectivization, land markets and land market-assisted land reforms, and land rental contracts. This book analyzes each of these channels of access to land, and recommends ways of making them more effective.
Management of official holdings of foreign assets, in particular in sovereign wealth funds, has become a major focus of national and international economic and financial policy. The principal reasons are their size, lack of transparency, potential to disrupt financial markets, and the risk that political objectives might influence their management. Moreover, such large cross-border holdings in official hands are at sharp variance with today's market-based global economy and financial system. These investment activities of governments have become sufficiently significant that an internationally agreed standard should be established to guide these activities. The standard should apply to the gamut of international investments of governments, including traditional foreign exchange reserves, stabilization funds, nonrenewable resource funds, sovereign wealth funds, and government-owned or controlled entities such as pension funds. The standard should ensure that international investments of governments are based on clearly stated policy objectives and investment strategies. It should set out the role of the government and the managers of the investment mechanism/entity and ensure that the operations of the investment mechanisms are as transparent as possible. Depending on the type of mechanism, its size, and the scope of its activities, behavioral guidelines with respect to its management should be established. Such a standard would contribute not only to financial stability in the countries directly involved but also to international financial stability by increasing the transparency, accountability, and predictability of the operations of governments in managing their international investments and discharging their obligations to current and future generations.
This report aims to strengthen the effectiveness of land policy insupport of development and poverty reduction by setting out theresults of recent research in a way that is accessible to a wide audience ofpolicymakers, nongovernmental organizations, academics in WorldBank client countries, donor agency officials, and the broader developmentcommunity. Its main message rests on three principles
The participation of local communities in the management of Cameroon's forest resources features prominently as one of the most imponderable and enigmatic issues confronting contemporary policy-makers. The genesis of this situation is that the institutionalization of a hegemonic management style and the near olympian neglect of forest-edged communities by successive administrations dating as far back as the colonial times have produced rather dismal results in terms of the sustainable management and development of forest resources. The democratization/decentralization and liberalization processes that have gripped the nation since the early 1990s have unveiled the urgent need for new power devolution paradigms in contemporary discourse. The consequence has been the adoption of a variety of policies designed to engender and consolidate community-based resource management models. The thrust of this article is to analyse critically the new policies to identify problems that are likely to arise.
Much of the debate on sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) has focused on political questions : do they reintroduce the failings of public ownership into market economies by the back door ? will SWFs use their ownership rights to pursue political ends ? and will resistance to foreign ownership lead to
a new wave of protectionism ? In this article, the author concentrates on some economic issues : why have they become so prominent recently ? how does that relate to imbalances in the world economy ? how are they affecting financial markets and what are the policy implications of their growth ?
JEL Classification : F21, F30, F32
Is there a ‘best practice’ model for the legal recognition of customary tenure? If not, is it possible to identify the circumstances in which a particular model would be most appropriate? This article considers these questions in the light of economic theories of property rights, particularly as illustrated by the World Bank’s 2003 land policy report. While these theories have their flaws, the underlying concept of tenure security allows a typological framework for developing legal responses to customary tenure. In particular, this article suggests that the nature and degree of State legal intervention in a customary land system should be determined by reference to the nature and causes of any tenure insecurity. This hypothesis is discussed by reference to a wide variety of legal examples from Africa, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific. The objective is not to suggest that law determines resource governance outcomes in pluralist normative environments, but to improve the quality of legal interventions in order to assist customary groups to negotiate better forms of tenure security and access to resources.
"This study aims to open up discussion of the way in which biofuels are likely to impact on access to land. Many observers and activists have raised concerns that the spread of biofuels may result in loss of land access for poorer rural people in localities that produce biofuel crops. However, since liquid biofuels are a relatively new phenomenon in most countries (with exceptions such as Brazil and Zimbabwe), there is as yet little empirical evidence. This study aims to pave the way for future empirical research on how the biofuels boom affects land access, by raising key issues, presenting a basic conceptual framework and presenting a suite of (primarily anecdotal) evidence from around the world."
This paper examines the recent decentralization of governance in Indonesia and its impact on local infrastructure provision. The decentralization of decisionmaking power to local jurisdictions in Indonesia may have improved the matching of public infrastructures provision with local preferences. However, decentralization has made local public infrastructures depend on local resources. Due to differences in initial endowments, this may result in the divergence of local public infrastructures in rich and poor jurisdictions. Using data from village-level panel surveys conducted in 1996, 2000, and 2006, this paper finds that (1) local public infrastructures depend on local resources, (2) decentralization has improved the availability of local public infrastructures, (3) local jurisdictions are converging to a similar level of local public infrastructure, and (4) to some extent, decentralized public infrastructures' provision reflects local preferences.
The imposition of market-oriented economic reforms throughout Africa in the 1990s has sparked renewed debate over the desirability of state-sponsored land titling programs. Proponents argue that land titling is an essential foundation for economic growth. Opponents contend that titling programs are unnecessary and premature at best, or detrimental at worst. This paper addresses these concerns through an examination of Cameroon's 1974 Lands Ordinance. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, we find that the 1974 Lands Ordinance has not introduced Western-style private property rights in Cameroon's agrarian sector. Nevertheless, the ordinance is not irrelevant to rural farmers. Rural farmers have used the ordinance to obtain concrete boundary markers on their land, enhancing their tenure security. In addition, administrators have used the ordinance to register underdeveloped land, reducing the contradictions between state law and customary law. These findings suggest that policy-makers could fruitfully redesign their land tenure policies to render them more attractive to rural farmers, and thereby give the state a more constructive role in enhancing tenure security, and in promoting economic growth.
FactBox: Foreign Forays into African Farming
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Daewoo Unsure of Madagascar Deal
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NDRC: China Has No Plan to Acquire Land Overseas
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Gem BioFuels up 15 pct on First Day of Trading
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Saudi firm in $400 million farm investment in Africa
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Qatar earmarks $1b for Mindanao projects
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Kuwait Signed $27 bln of Deals in Asian Tour
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Sovereign Wealth Funds – From Torrent to Trickle
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Qatar and Vietnam Set up Agriculture Fund
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Biofuels, Land Access and Tenure, and Rural Livelihoods in Tanzania
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Soaring Food Prices to Spur Agriculture Investment
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Kuwait, Sudan Agree to Boost Economic Partnership
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Qatar, Sudan in farming tie-up
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