Nearly $20 to $30 billion a year is being spent by our so-called “rich” countries to acquire agriculture land in poorer regions.
Roughly 20 million hectares of farmland, about half the size of all arable land in Europe, has been sold or prepared to be sold in the last six months. Ten million hectares were acquired last year.
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 last six months, reports from UN officials and agriculture experts say.
New reports from the UN and analysts in India, Washington and London estimate that at least 30m hectares is being acquired to grow food for countries such as China and the Gulf states who cannot produce enough for their populations. According to the UN, the trend is accelerating and could severely impair the ability of poor countries to feed themselves.
Today it emerged that world leaders are to discuss what is being described as “land grabbing” or “neo-colonialism” at the G8 meeting [this week].
States are themselves investing and lending money to food, finance and automobile companies, with artificial resources, manifested by state finance. It is aggressive speculation on future land and food prices, based on anticipated volatility and scarcity.
Tragically, one fifth of the land deals are expected to be used for biofuels.
Devinder Sharma, analyst with the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security in India, predicted civil unrest.
“Outsourcing food production will ensure food security for investing countries but would leave behind a trail of hunger, starvation and food scarcities for local populations,” he said. “The environmental tab of highly intensive farming – devastated soils, dry aquifer, and ruined ecology from chemical infestation – will be left for the host country to pick up.“
It is shaping up to be a busy week for rich G8 states in Italy. With the news of each passing week, I am becoming less confident that these statesmen are capable of addressing our most critical challenges.
The collapsing nation-state/market system is not able or intended to address global issues like food security and financial neo-colonialism.
Still, best of luck this week to the G8 — though I have some doubt they are sincere about tackling this.
