Tim Wise on African Land grabs & Responsible Agricultural Investment

 

Timothy A. Wise

By Timothy A. Wise 

Originally posted on TripleCrisis 

Can land grabs by foreign investors in developing countries feed the hungry? So says the press release for a recent, and unfortunate, economic study. It comes just as civil society and government delegates gather in Rome this week to negotiate guidelines for “responsible agricultural investment” (RAI), and as President Obama welcomes African leaders to Washington for a summit on economic development in the region.
At stake in both capitals is whether the recent surge in large-scale acquisition of land in Africa and other developing regions needs to be better regulated to ensure that agricultural investment contributes to food security rather than eroding it by displacing small-scale farmers.
- See more at: http://triplecrisis.com/#sthash.pv8FuE2A.dpuf

Can land grabs by foreign investors in developing countries feed the hungry? So says the press release for a recent, and unfortunate, economic study. It comes just as civil society and government delegates gather in Rome this week to negotiate guidelines for “responsible agricultural investment” (RAI), and as President Obama welcomes African leaders to Washington for a summit on economic development in the region. At stake in both capitals is whether the recent surge in large-scale acquisition of land in Africa and other developing regions needs to be better regulated to ensure that agricultural investment contributes to food security rather than eroding it by displacing small-scale farmers.

Read rest here.

Can land grabs by foreign investors in developing countries feed the hungry? So says the press release for a recent, and unfortunate, economic study. It comes just as civil society and government delegates gather in Rome this week to negotiate guidelines for “responsible agricultural investment” (RAI), and as President Obama welcomes African leaders to Washington for a summit on economic development in the region.
At stake in both capitals is whether the recent surge in large-scale acquisition of land in Africa and other developing regions needs to be better regulated to ensure that agricultural investment contributes to food security rather than eroding it by displacing small-scale farmers.
- See more at: http://triplecrisis.com/#sthash.pv8FuE2A.dpuf

Timothy A. Wise

The New Banks in Town: Chinese Finance in Latin America

By Kevin P. Gallagher, Amos Irwin, & Katherine Koleski

"Although China's impact in Africa receives the most attention, China trades just as much in Latin America as in Africa, and has more investments in the region. Chinese finance in Latin America – chiefly from the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China – is staggeringly large and growing [...] China's presence is a great opportunity for Latin America, but it brings new risks. If the region can seize the new opportunities that come with Chinese finance, countries could come closer to their development goals, and pose a real challenge to the way western-backed development banks do business. However, if Latin American nations don't channel this new trade and investment toward long-term growth and sustainability, the risks may take away many of the rewards."

Read the rest here.