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GRAIN | November 2009

The monopolisation of land GRAIN 09/2010. GRAIN | November 2009. The investors  . The Philippine government has undertakne considerable negotiations with the Gulf States and China. States and businesses, but mainly the private sector.

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GRAIN | November 2009

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  1. The monopolisation of land GRAIN 09/2010 GRAIN | November 2009

  2. The investors  The Philippine government has undertakne considerable negotiations with the Gulf States and China • States and businesses, but mainly the private sector. • The States provide political support and facilitate agreements. The main governments involved: the Gulf States, Korea, China, Japan and Libya. But also: Singapore, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Egypt, the WAEMU • But it is business which is leading the projects (either off their own bat or urged by the State). Combinations of agro-food companies (production and marketing) and financial investment companies (capital investment companies, pension funds, investment banks, holding companies, speculation companies or hedge funds, etc.) The Indian company Karuturi has set up in Éthiopia GRAIN | September 2010

  3. The new landowners Philippe Heilberg, ex-trader with the Solomon Brothers and AIG, current CEO of Jarch Capital (US), has bought 400,000 ha in Sudan and plans to double doubler this area before the end of 2009. Mozambique has just granted 20,000ha to Mauritius which is sub-leasing them to Vitagrain, a Singapore company, to grow rice for Mauritius Set up in 2008 to buy agricultural land in Brazil, Agrifirma has some very famous investors - Jim Slater, Jim Rogers and Lord Rothschild. It holds around  42,000 ha  out of some 2.5 m under examination Richard Spinks de Landkom (UK) has leased 70,000 ha in Ukraine, where he is aiming for 500,000 within five years Public and private investors in the Gulf are already involved in over 100 agreements covering tens of m ha, mainly in Africa and Asiat The Ben Laden group is targeting 500,000 ha of land in Papuasia, Indonesia, to grow rice for the Saudi market In August 2009, Trigon Agri (DK) already controls over 170,000 ha in Russia, Ukraine and Estonia Jeffrey Currie of Goldman Sachs sees the monopolisation of land as “a good thing". Goldman Sachs has bought 10 poultry farms in China for 300 m $US, leaving them what might be termed the trouble of setting the prices. Susan Payne of Emergent Asset (UK): Holds over 150,000 ha in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Mozambique. Ukraine has given 250,000 ha aux to the Libyans to grow their own wheat, in exchange for gas supplies GRAIN | September 2010

  4. and still so many more... The establishment of new funds by the Gulf States to buy farm land Olam of Singapore is buying 200,000 ha in Gabon for palm oil plantations. Portuguese investors are buying land in Sierra Leone Sheik Al Amoudi: 500,000 ha in Ethiopia Discussions between Abu Dhabi and-Sudan The Chinese want to grow rice in Cameroon 10m ha in Congo-Brazzaville for South African farmers GRAIN | September  2010

  5. Problems for the win-win scenario • - reorienting the discussion: from agriculture (how to feed the world, including the >1.05 billion hungry?) and the land (governance) to satisfactory progress for investments • - basic injustice (transferring the control of the land) • - the vast majority of these investments are aiming for intensive, highly capitalised production for export • - nobody believes in principles (jobs, etc.) and very few people trust the governments or investors involved GRAIN | September 2010

  6. Concrete action is needed: • 1) information • 2) controls (eg. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand) • 3) growth of capital devoted to monopolising land • 4) food independence GRAIN | September 2010

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