Fears for the world’s poor countries as the rich grab land to grow food

John Vidal
London Guardian
Sunday, July 5, 2009

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.

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Today it emerged that world leaders are to discuss what is being described as “land grabbing” or “neo-colonialism” at the G8 meeting next week. A spokesman for Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs confirmed that it would raise the issue: “We feel there should be a code of conduct for investment in farmland that will be a win-win situation for both producing and consuming countries,” he said.

Olivier De Schutter, special envoy for food at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “[The trend] is accelerating quickly. All countries observe each other and when one sees others buying land it does the same.”

Full story here.

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8 Responses to “Fears for the world’s poor countries as the rich grab land to grow food”

1. readthebookgimmeadayoff Says:
   July 5th, 2009 at 7:13 am

   2:1 Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. 2:2 They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. 2:3 Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time. 2:4 In that day they will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, We are utterly ruined! My peoples possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors! 2:5 Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in the assembly of the LORD. 2:6 Dont prophesy! They prophesy. Dont prophesy about these things. Disgrace wont overtake us. 2:7 Shall it be said, O house of Jacob: Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Are these his doings? Dont my words do good to him who walks blamelessly? 2:8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle. 2:9 You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing forever. 2:10 Arise, and depart! For this is not your resting place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction. 2:11 If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies: I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink; he would be the prophet of this people. 2:12 I will surely assemble, Jacob, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they will swarm with people. 2:13 He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. And their king passes on before them, with the LORD at their head.

2. No to NWO Says:
   July 5th, 2009 at 8:34 pm

   Whoa I’m almost surprised that it’s not the US that is victimizing other countries this time. It’s China and some Middle Eastern States in the Persian Gulf (article didn’t say which gulf).

3. Alex Jones is a chupacabra Says:
   July 5th, 2009 at 9:03 pm

   See an actual photo of Alex behind a row of porta-jons in Virginia at last years Bilderberg conference. http://www.patriotscave.blogspot.com

4. Raphy Says:
   July 6th, 2009 at 2:06 am

   This is straight up oppression, people living lives of luxury off of the poor whose conditions continue to get worse. We all need to play our part, and reduce our consumption, and start speaking up against these policies.

5. Punsons Flora Says:
   July 6th, 2009 at 2:15 am

   The trend is accelerating and could severely impair the ability of poor countries to feed themselves

6. used to be proud brit Says:
   July 6th, 2009 at 3:38 am

   Land grabs are also being carried out in Africa
   In return for relieving dept from money owed to banks,
   land has been taken by the un for the national parks
   Everyone agrees with this one because its to save the animals
   common sense ?
   Anything everyone agree`s on is suspect to me!
   Or is it land grabs by hidden hand!
   I wonder where the people who lived on the land have gone,or did they have any say in the matter?
   I think i know that answer to!

7. roque Says:
   July 6th, 2009 at 8:46 am

   let’s do something about it. yes, it is good to discuss what is REALLY going on (kudos to all you who are actually awake), but at some point we have to stop talking, stop thinking, and stop deliberating and start DOING. we have to move on to the next step now that we know. we have the responsibility on our shoulders to awaken the walking sleepers because we KNOW the TRUTH. if we all actually care and are pissed off, because i am very pissed off at this bullshit, then we have to start doing something about. first step, we have to get the message across to the sleepers by compiling a way to speak to them. the truth is very good at awakening people and we are delving in the truth. the second step would be to remove all politicians from office and start anew. i’m not really technologically savvy, but there has to be a way to break the mass media broadcasting and televise something for at lest ten minutes that will reach millions of people; millions of people who do not know what the hell is going on. i’m not talking about revolution, but a civil way to find a solution and the solution is to have everyone on the same page that way the power doesn’t seem to lie in the governments hands. people are ignorant, yes, but, there is a way to break that ignorance; people have the opportunity to NOT accept the bullshit being fed to us, by the FED and the government, and to stop being complacent on the double speak from very good questions. we pay their salaries, we’re their bosses, will you lie to your boss? will you not answer important questions from your boss? can you do whatever the fuck you want and put it on your bosses tab? can you give your boss bullshit? no, no, no and no. i would be a hypocrite if i do not follow what i’ve ranted about, but, in all honesty, i am doing my part. although, i have to admit, one person reaching out to one person at a time is not efficient enough. humans are naturally gregarious and if the sleepers see that a lot more people are actually taking light on this matter then let’s do something about. let’s start talking about how we can actually move towards progress. progress through truth. progress towards positivity. progress towards a new evolution, not towards a new revolution.

8. Aydin Says:
   July 7th, 2009 at 8:05 pm

   cool stuff i hope i get to read more updates