This is potentially a very big story. I want to read more about it before I comment, but it’s important enough for me to put a couple of links up already. Here, and here.
Original report here.
What am I talking about? The BBC explains:
A report from the US-based thinktank The Oakland Institute claims that the scramble for arable land in Africa by foreign investors is forcing millions of small farmers off their ancestral land.
As global food prices rise and exporters reduce shipments of commodities, wealthy countries and investment funds are seeing an opportunity in Africa and acquiring huge tracts of fertile land to produce crops like wheat, rice, corn and biofuels for consumption back home. The report says that an area the size of France has already been sold or leased to foreign investors.
Because of poor land ownership laws in many African countries and a lack of transparency about deals, it is claimed, these land deals are delivering almost none of the benefits promised to African citizens.
****************************************
WTF?
In the west African country of Mali, one investment group was able to secure 100,000 hectares of fertile land for a 50-year term for free, according to the Institute’s report.
June 9th, 2011 at 12:14PM
this is not a new result. it’s 19th century Ireland on a much bigger scale.
June 10th, 2011 at 1:11AM
Somehow I see students protesting at their respective universities over this. Back in my day at my old school we demanded that the Trustees divest the endowment portfolio of companies which did business in Apartheid South Africa. And they did as requested.