The great 21st century land grab is shaping up as a competition for Africa. The once-forgotten land is now a source of massive investment by China, Saudi Arabia and other resource-strapped countries. In particular, countries facing potential food shortages due to growing food demand are investing in African agriculture.
A recent Guardian article highlights this growing trend:
The 1,000 hectares of land which contain the Awassa greenhouses are leased for 99 years to a Saudi billionaire businessman, Ethiopian-born Sheikh Mohammed al-Amoudi, one of the 50 richest men in the world. His Saudi Star company plans to spend up to $2bn acquiring and developing 500,000 hectares of land in Ethiopia in the next few years. So far, it has bought four farms and is already growing wheat, rice, vegetables and flowers for the Saudi market. It expects eventually to employ more than 10,000 people.
But Ethiopia is only one of 20 or more African countries where land is being bought or leased for intensive agriculture on an immense scale in what may be the greatest change of ownership since the colonial era.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/07/food-water-africa-land-grab
