Article
The land investment story - fear of unchecked land grabs
International land deals are emerging as a global phenomenon…Interest by states and investors to purchase or lease agricultural land rightly deserves large and serious attention because of the value of land…for food security and water access…livelihoods and identity of local communities…[and] the risk of ‘land grabs’ as most land acquisitions happen in developing countries with a lack of institutional support and insecure or informal, indigenous land rights…A report issued by FAO - "Land grab or development opportunity? Agricultural investment and international land deals in Africa” – provides a detailed study of the recent trend…The United Nations and the World Bank are drawing up a non-binding code of conduct to regulate overseas investment in farmland. [refers to Daewoo Logistics, Binladin Group]