Rich nations snaffle 30 million hectares of Third World farmland

John Vidal in London (Originally published in Sydney Morning Herald)

THE ACQUISITION of farmland from the world's poor by rich countries and international corporations is accelerating at an alarming rate, with an area half the size of Europe's farmland targeted in the past six months, say reports from United Nations officials and agriculture experts.

New reports from the UN and analysts in India, Washington and London estimate that at least 30 million hectares is being acquired to grow food for countries such as China and the Gulf states, who cannot produce enough for their populations.

The UN says the trend is accelerating and could severely impair the ability of poor countries to feed themselves.

World leaders will discuss "land grabbing" or "neo-colonialism" at the G8 meeting, which starts in Italy on Thursday.

A spokesman for Japan's ministry of foreign affairs said it would raise the issue: "We feel there should be a code of conduct for investment in farmland that will be a win-win situation for both producing and consuming countries."

The UN's food and agricultural organisation and other analysts estimate that about 20 million hectares - an area about half the size of all arable land in Europe - has been sold or negotiated for sale or lease in the last six months. About 10 million hectares were bought last year. The land grab is being blamed on wealthy countries and their food security concerns.

Some of the largest deals include South Korea's acquisition of 700,000 hectares in Sudan, and Saudi Arabia's purchase of 500,000 hectares in Tanzania.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo expects to shortly conclude an 8 million-hectare deal with a group of South African businesses.

India has lent money to 80 companies to buy 350,000 hectares in Africa. At least six countries are known to have bought large landholdings in Sudan, one of the least food-secure countries in the world.

Those targeted include not only fertile countries such as Brazil, Russia and Ukraine, but also poor countries such as Cameroon, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Zambia.

Click for a video (in French) of Cameroonian lands ceded to the Chinese.

Comments

[edwin]

Good.The western world always need us Africans.But since our African leaders are so selfish and are blinded with greediness, they make the westerners to feel superior.Without us they will die.We have allowed them to detect everything for us.They will tellm us if we don't sell we cannot buy.Yes we cannt buy but they need it desperately.Please African lets stand as one and fight all this rubbish.AU.where are you.Please act fast

[Lumumba]

On this issue, i'm really not happy about this policy of coming to Africa in times of need to get the assistance. Enough is enough, as Edwin just mentioned above, let our Greedy Leaders don't sell us again. Lets unitedly stand against all the manipulations from the West. Even China the middle East are also exploiting the Africans.
No to the neo-colonialism and the G8 should backoff from Africa. How many Africans got farmlands in the WEST????. lets thinks about the repaccusions of doing all the deals with the West, they'ren't to assist us but to kill us. If there was a way for the West to kill africans to takeover they would have done so. But its time for us to be radical about issues of our Contnient,this is our futures that they're deciding and some of us will seat and say bravo,oh they are coming to assist us. I hate the small talks.Who are expoiting our resources and making us poorer??The West, then wheen are we gonna be wise??
Yes i'm In South Africa, they're also playing the policies of the West by acquiring farmlands in other parts of Africa. Why can we as AFricans jointly development our resources and be a force to be reckon with??
The AU is just not doing its work,defent the Motherland from the greedy aggreessors call the West with capital with new partners from Asia&SA!!
Peace!!
lumumba!!

[Asafor valentine]

I earlier intimated cameroon epitaps had been written. youths we either go offensive or sit cry and wait for manna's from heaven,or a human evolution again from the cameroonian people. shame, shame, Amstel yes, miitzig yes,33,export yes,Sonel has gone,snec gone,soon we be privatise.

[Asafor valentine]

Hey youths lets form a youth political party and chase these blood suckers away from power.Remember,30 yrs ago the United State was sucked into a destructive, costly and unpopular war.That was the cultural Revolution.It was wage by an American youth.The fundamental premise of thier revolt was simply rebelion- rebelion against an archaic systerm of rule in America.They went out in thier numbers and succeeded. Lets copy from the American youths and reform our lovely country youths.Time is up,the is now, we must act all has been said we keep on repeating stories.Revolution, Revolutions.Men, Women, Lets rise up as one man and fight.

[yahoo]

This is a politically explosive issue that has been going on for a while below the radar. Thanks for exposing it.

[Nico]

It is called globalization and feeding the global economy...nothing new here.

[Lumumba]

Nico, what do u mean feeding the global economy, now at whose detriment?? Globalization is for the West to come expoit us??Is that what you mean? When we as Africans go there then we're foreigners, good for nothing.Then when they come to Africa,we look at them as helpers??No they're exploiters,damn!!!It pains me alot!!
Look my brother, globalization is just a word use by the Elites of the world who are very few to exploit the masses. Its the World bank&IMF policies to further drained and suck us dry. Come smell the coffee Africans.
Lets build solidarity across the board to break this misery.
I'm happy Africans are now realising the negative impacts of globlalization or better-still neo-liberalism or structural adjustment programmes.
Where is camair,Alucam,Camsuco,CDC,railway etc etc, for crying out loud? most of these companies are bought by French&USA Companies.What happen then?Massive retrenchments, what does make the country look like? Social unrest.Then when there is protest from civil societies, what happens, Gov't sends armed troops to shot protesters, which is their rights to ask for better living conditions and right to emplyment.Our cureencies are devalued for the interest of foreign currency like the $!There are economic free zones, tax holidays for the foreign companies to make gross profits and move their gians out of the country without it being taxed. Workers rights are abused and poorly paid.
So Nico thats the negative impacts of globalization.Lets be constructive in our debate.
Those are our daily realities and we got to claim what is truly ours!!
So Mr Asafor vally, the revolution is now and we have started it, so we got to educate ourselves about the policies of the West and stop to nothing to educate others about the greed of the West using our puppet Leaders for their hinded agendas.
Thanks for the great comments!!

[Manuel]

Brother Lumumba, i must agree with you for some of our brethren think that we have to adopt the model which is is leading to utmost bankruptcy of the strongest nation in the world. The one thing i want to clarify is that we as people can do our part without government intervention. it must not be a huge project, it could start with as little as going back to the neighborhood where you grow up and help the youths. Sponsor some child that needs help going to school whose parents cannot afford to. for me i think this is way we are going to get out of this. complaining about the status quo will not cut it so it is time we start acting.

All these people they call experts that come and tell us how to better manage our economy i wonder where they are now that these western economy are suffering. Remember the remedy they have always prescribed for us is devaluation of the currency and privatization. i hope they start practicing what they preached

[Nico]

Brother Lumumba, who exploits us more the west or our own leaders? China comes in a buys land right? who do you think they would employ to cultivate the land, manufacture goods, shipping and the likes? We are talking about a huge boom in local economies. How about the money used for the purchase of land? More often than not the land is on lease and the Chinese gov’t would have to pay rent, another good thing for the country. So who is exploiting who at this point? You list a bunch of companies that where privatized by the gov’t as a result of poor management. What has that got to do with globalization? It would of course be nice if Cameroonians could buy this companies and run them but we know that’s not going to happen.
Yes these companies make profit and there is nothing wrong with that. These tax free zones are incentives to bring companies into the country which in turn help local economies. This happens all over the world and it is a good thing. The problem is in Africa we have no idea what running a company is all about more so a country and we squander our resources and exploit ourselves. So that’s you problem.

[Papa Mama]

Nanga Eboko. I guess.
Bamenda? I don't think so. KumboP I don't think so.
Bakweris are also pissed off about government using their land and not paying rents.
Ndian, you guys speak up and stop being such CPDM dodos or you will be next.

[Asafor valentine]

Hey brothers to many living outside Europe and north America, Globalization looks like westernisation or perhaps, Americanisation, since the US is now the sole super power,with a dominant Economic, cultural and military position in the global order.However is the most slippery,dangerous and important buzzword of the late twentieth century.It is slippery because it can have many meanings and used in many ways.It is dangerous because too often it is as a powerful and a justification for the endless expansion of unregulated capitalist relations into every part of life every corner of the globe.The big debates, we can write and talk more on this sensitive issue,The simple fact is that the term globalization has com to remain,drugs,crime,sex war,protest movements,terrorism, entertainment,goods, people, now all travel the globe.

[Asafor valentine]

Make no mistake,I know globalisation will create a world of winners and losers,a few on a fast track to prosperity.Whether in trade in buying land Camerooon, privatisation,the speed and scope of communication, the degree of interpenetration of national markets and cultures is unprecedented.Cameroon will not be an island in the face of all these global changes.We have got tallented guys who can be part of this positive or negative change that is sweeping accros the world. The fact is that,globalization is inevitable,Microsoft,psions,Ntt,Docomo,Motorola,Nokia will soon control world communication and Technology.I invite my brothers to sit up make sure the technology is invested and build in cameroon rather than importing it.We need democracy, the rule of law to forge ahead, without which our assets will all be taken away by the forces of globalisation.

[Asafor valentine]

We will always be the architect of our problems.Our friends of the west are willing to help, but we do not want to embraced change.What becomes of our postal agency? What went wrong with Credit agricole? Cameroon Bank,UNVDA,Fonader,Public Works,Wada,Markrting Board,etc.These were programs initiated by our friends of the west. Albiet they come to exploit they also have good intentions.Were they the ones who crumble the above mention?

[Emmanuel]

I think what Cameroon and Africa as a whole need huge investment in the various sectors.Investment will creat Jobs and so Cameroonians will have the purchasing power to be enable to consume local goods produced. Without consumption the economy will be stagnant and mind you Cameroonians or most Africans as a whole don`t have the purchasing power. Also the government can come in by regulating the wages. There must be a minimum salary so that it would avoid exploitation. It does not matter where a company comes from, because to say the truth Foreign Companies bring in new technology, teach Cameroonians something about competition which leads to higher standards of products and also the cash which we so much lack due to what we all know, needless to mention them here. The Government should implement very strict controls over these companies to make sure they meet all the conditions stated according to the law because as ay business man, their sole goal is to make money and very few companies careabout the human factor.

Cameroon or Cameroonians can also take advantage of globalisation by preparing themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge to work in this foreign companies who even has taken the risk to invest in Cameroonian with its very harsh economic environment.

If you can change the life of one person then you are changing the world because that person is part of the world.

Thanks.

[stone]

we are tired of your annual poem. Action speaks louder than words.

In a battle where all the Lions have been defeated, its risky to carry a Dog.
I urge all cameroonians to be strong as usual.
A tree that those not bear fruit must be cut down. For 27 years Biya has not been productive. He has handicapped and ruined the country.
Biya has proven to be untouchable.
Its my pleasure to announce to Biya and the rest of the country that there is a special and wild breed of cameroonians coming up. They cannot be quenched. They are everywhere. They are around him "Biya".
In due TIME, they will use an "AXE" and cut him down.