In 2009, the World Food Programme (WFP) shipped approximately enough food aid to feed 5.9 million people in Sudan. As food aid is shipped into the country, thousands of tons of wheat and rice are almost simultaneously exported to other nations. The paradox is that Sudan is unable to feed its domestic population, yet exports tons of food supplies to nations such as China, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Why?
840,000 hectares of Sudanese land are set aside for countries such as these, who pay large sums of money to the Sudanese government to utilize plots of land in order to promote food security in their respective nations. This fairly recent phenomenon, which reached large scale degrees in 2007, was the rough result of the perceived inability of the international commodity markets to be adequately regulated and thus able to provide sustaining amounts of commodities to nations.
World Bank estimates total about 50 million hectares, mostly in developing African nations, to be leased to other countries. Sovereign wealth funds and government based corporations partake in long term leases, concessions, or outright purchases that range anywhere from 30 – 99 years. Sometimes the details of such acquisitions are undisclosed for records.
Nations participating in land purchases include China and the United Arab Emirates, who have secured deals with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal. Ethiopia is also an active participant, and disclosed that three million hectares were for lease as of September 2009.
Discontent regarding these deals is already rife, with local farmers protesting the poor work conditions and unequal distribution effects of such contracts. Low pay, land displacement, and loss of access to pastoral lands have been consequences within countries such as Ethiopia.
UN Food and Agricultural Office (FAO) director general Jacques Diouf spoke of the necessity of private investment as a means of promoting economic development while balancing the fairness and sustenance for local populations.
Posted by Patricia Lee.
