The “new colonisation”: adverse effects of the upscale acquisition of arable land by foreigners (African Agriculture)

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http://www.africanagricultureblog.com/2011/10/are-land-leases-to-foreign-interests.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+africanagricultureblog%2FNaEx+%28African+Agriculture%29

Are land leases to foreign interests a good thing?

by Fred Oluch

Africa Review

African land experts and policymakers have finally woken up to the adverse effects of the upscale acquisition of arable land on the continent by foreigners.

For the last decade, multinational corporations and foreign governments have acquired huge chunks of rich farmlands in Africa to grow food and bio-fuels solely for export, but those in authority across the continent have remained largely ambivalent to this phenomenon commonly known as “new colonisation” or “land grabs.”

Most of these long-term leases or sales of large chunks of land have been done clandestinely by a clique of people in governments across the continent in collusion with foreign entities who are more interested in quick profits. Yet such deals are likely to increase the continents food deficit.

The worry is that investors are not looking for unused land but fertile land near water sources, and that Africa could be losing arable and agriculturally potential land to outsiders and thus threatening food security.

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