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The 2008 land grab for food and financial security
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Grain
October 29, 2008
Today’s food and financial crises have, in tandem, triggered a new global land grab. "Food insecure" governments that rely on imports to feed their people are snapping up farms all over the world to outsource their own food production and escape high market prices. Private investors, hungry for profits in the midst of the deepening financial crisis, are eyeing overseas farms as an important new source of revenue. As a result of both trends, fertile agricultural land is being swiftly privatised and consolidated by foreign companies in some of the world’s poorest and hungriest countries. A new report from GRAIN examines 100 cases of agricultural land grabbing — whether for food or simply for profit — that have exploded this year.
Saudi Arabia and China are just two nations out buying farms, from Sudan to Cambodia, to satisfy their own food needs. In these cases, governments, sometimes through sovereign wealth funds, are negotiating rights to foreign land — whether by purchase, concession or lease — so that their corporations can come in and produce food to export back home. In return, they are offering oil contracts, soft loans, infrastructure projects and development funds. The food-hungry land grabbers include China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Those giving up their land, in exchange for the oil deals or investments, include the Philippines, Mozambique, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Laos, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, Uganda, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Investing in farms abroad to produce food for a tight world market is also, apparently, a hot way to make money these days. Throughout this year, an army of investment houses, private equity managers and hedge funds have been out purchasing farmland throughout the world. The plan is to capitalise on low land costs and high food prices wherever fertile farmland is available, such as in Ukraine, China, Russia, Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil and Kazakhstan. The money-hungry land grabbers include familiar names such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock and Louis Dreyfus, but there are plenty of others. And they are getting help from agencies like the World Bank, its International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, who are pressing target countries to change their laws and make stronger land ownership by foreigners possible.
While political leaders and UN bodies are trying to "manage" the potential backlash, farmers’ organisations, opposition parties, human rights groups and others are challenging and resisting these deals. But much more needs to be done to stop this massive sell-out of the very basis of food sovereignty.
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GRAIN, "Seized: The 2008 land grab for food and financial security", GRAIN briefing, October 2008, (11 pp) + Annex (11 pp). Available at:
http://www.grain.org/go/landgrab
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October 29th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
HOW BOUGHT WE GRAB THE BUSH RANCH IN TEXAS AND LET BUSH/CHANEY/ROVE WORK AS RANCH HANDS ??????????????????
October 29th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
My Mother used to always say, “Keep your million dollars, just give me a hand full of carrot seeds and a clean glass of water.”
October 29th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
And the farmers and the people will starve while those with a loaf of bread under each arm demand more!
October 29th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
#1 – great idea…LOL
#2 – your mom is awesome
October 29th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
This is outrageous! Poor people are starving and nobody gives a shit. The bad corporations are profit hungry assholes who care only about themselves, and gives a damn about the enviroment as well…. Stop the NWO!
October 29th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
How about we just feed the NWO scum to the starving…. They must be pretty fat by now!
October 29th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
PS CONDOLEEZA RICE. WHAT A SHIT! CHEENEY? – SURELY ONE ‘MAN’ CANNOT TAKE MANY MORE HEART BYPASSES (THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE !!!) BUSH? … WELL HE HAS BEEN BRAINDEAD FOR YEARS ANYWAY…I WOULDN’T TRUST HIM TO RUN A BATH. SAD FACT IS THESE SLUGS ARE RIDING OFF INTO THE SUNSET WITH THEIR RETIREMENT PLANS MADE OF OUR TAX PAYMENTS….
October 29th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
How “bought” Cline learns rudimentary spelling?
October 29th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Remember when we used to have an abundance of food, a strong economy, abundance of energy, freedom from attacks, mothers who would not dream of murdering their babies, an understanding that anuses were “exit only”, truth in our churches, etc? Those were the good ole days. Keep your million dollars, just give me a moral America again!
October 29th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
On post #9, YOU are so right and I agree whole heartedly. Give us back our good ol’ America. I want to hear the National Anthem once in a while; the pledge to the American Flag. I wonder how many true Americans are still in America and not immigrated from other foreign country?????? Obama doesn’t put his hand on his heart when the National Anthem is played; do any of you? I do.
I believe it is about control too. What a sick, greedy bunch of countries.
October 29th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=ULKPORVG
October 29th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=ULKPORVG gotta watch this one 911 truthers
October 29th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=ULKPORVG gotta watch this one 911 truthers
October 30th, 2008 at 2:57 am
Can any of us (you, you, or I) grow 10% of what we eat? With hunting and domesticated animals can we any of us grow 10% of what we spend on food each year?
October 30th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Yes you can Seal.. Initially it is a difficult transistion for many..and it takes effort(meaning you have to give up the cheap shit you waste time on in life) but it has been done by many for years… and depending on your location.. in some cases wild game can supplement your diet. For some that will be a “mind thing” to overcome.. But in fact the wild game is probably better for the diet and health. That is a choice you will have to decide. I FREELY admit I gardened when I was younger and helped my grandafather and father… but once I got “civilized” I didn’t need that crap anymore… now as I am aging and see what crap the food is “designed from” and where agriculture is heading.. I reverted back with some growing pains and am teaching my daughter to follow suite. I have the resources… why not use them.
October 30th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Even if you dont have the land. Buy seeds, lots of seeds. if there is a will, you will find a way to make those seeds grow. Hell im going to farmers market to buy some.
October 30th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Time once again for a victory garden. Once we can all fend for ourselves and drop out of “their” system we won’t be the host for these nwo parasites anymore and they will start to die off. Victory is OURS….screw those bastards.
October 30th, 2008 at 9:39 am
For all of you who want to elicit effective change by waking up those who are still asleep, I have included a link. Though there are some spelling errors, the information contained may be useful to those who want to reach the sheeple out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=channel
October 30th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Thak a second and read
Now the farmers are taking a real hit, Corn was at a all time high this summer $7.00 a bushel, and it has dropped to $3.50 and it is still in the fields for the most of the corn belt, The farmers are going to get hurt, and its the god damn fault of the banks and brokers, who are doing this, Do you think the corpate farms will get hurt? No, not as long as ADM, Cargill and govT keeps them with the fix for that special project, You know like they subsidize them, not the smaller farms, This is where we get the real flour and other foods from, And by far more safe, Please look carefully at those caned corn and green bean peas PLEASE LOOK China Mexico, WALMART Aldi’s K Mart Kroger’s store brand, Save the water from a can at Wal-Mart(veg) and then a brand that says pack in the US, BOIL it and let it dry see it taste it and smell (while boiling)’
You’ll be surprised, and that pasta made in china from Wal-Mart fuck it, I make my own now and it’s not hard to do, SORRY, Back to the corn!!
Now Mexico and it’s people can’t afford the corn products there, and the people are in the streets protesting it,
This is for you info, Check out the Monsanto seeds that have a patent on them, (GE Seeds)
engineered seed,
Thanks
From the Corn Belt
ps
Yes the banks are keeping the money for a \/-\/—-going out party, like the US is broke(people)GovT,AND Obama can go right to hell with all my support
October 30th, 2008 at 9:52 am
to add Brazil is 2nd largest food exporter in the world 2007 and there were more than 350,000 people starved to death, what’s wrong here, well it’s the banks and corrupt govt people, Like we have, and it will get worse
October 30th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
BERG RALLY – TODAY 3:00 PM – SUPREME COURT STEPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.obamacrimes.com
Peace.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
There are hundreds of patents for Genetically Modified Crops, to include, potatoes, beans, peas, tomatoes, corn, feed grains, most involve making the food crop able to withstand weed killer chemicals similar to the chemicals used in Vietnam generally referred to as agent orange. When you buy canned veggies in usa, then you are most likely getting a dose of weed killer – a known cancer causing agent. So eat up!
October 30th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
bailout the farmers not the bankers. at least we won’t starve to death.
October 30th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Check “the world according to Monsanto” on youtube.
Also on another related note;
They are using chemtrails in part to make the soil bad so no one can grow their own food and only GMO foods with grow. Produced by Guess Who? Monsanto.
Another poster put this up a few weeks back;
Blatant criminal conflicts of interest between the FDA, EPA, Judicial system and Monsanto Corporation but no investigation or even public outcry.
(Factual list, all public knowledge, research if you have any doubt and you should because it is truly one of the most unbelievable lists of open corruption you will ever see)
Criminal Conflict of Interests as follows:
-Justice Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court Justice; Monsanto lawyer for Regulatory Affairs.
-Linda Fisher, Executive Vice President Monsanto; EPA.
-Anne Vereman, Secretary of Agriculture; Monsanto Board of Directors.
-Michael Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for POLICY FDA; Monsanto’s Senior Counsel.
-Micky Kantor, Secretary of Commerce; Board of Directors Monsanto.
-Linda Watrud, EPA; Biotech Res. Monsanto.
October 30th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Screw the Arab towel heads. Let them eat sand and drink oil. If Americans dont have a garden then your a fool.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:06 am
The answer is depopulate Earth
October 31st, 2008 at 6:31 am
FACE IT!! ITS ALL ABOUT FOOD
whuitout it you dont survive
October 31st, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Hey Made in US – I read about the original filing, then I heard somewhere I think yesterday (or read it; I’m into so many articles, my head is spinning!) that Hawaii refused to release the docs.
I’m in BC Canada so too far to go to PA but I’ll tell you what, I’d sure like to see this on mainstream news tonight, but won’t hold my breath!! This suff if it is picked up, seems to only be mentioned once before everyone is quieted.
Thanks for posting this update. Would you post a follow up and video (if the cops don’t confiscate Berg supporters cameras!)??
Mich in BC
November 4th, 2008 at 1:34 am
Community gardens could go a long way toward food independence. Also, setting aside one room in the home or apartment to grow food hydroponically would help also. We could barter with each other and trade our little harvests amongst ourselves. If you’re good at growing tomatoes and I’m good at growing baby spinach, let’s make a salad!
Edible foods and ground cover can easily be planted as part of the landscaping around a house. Instead of making a god of our finely manicured grassy lawns which require weed-killers, fertilizer, gas & oil for the mower etc., let’s devote some of that yard to edible plants. Heck, did you know that dandelion greens make a tasty and nutritious salad green?! But what do we do?! Spray them with Monsanto’s Roundup!
Let’s be creative here. Plant something!