In November 2008 it was revealed that the Korean company Daewoo would have signed a contract for leasing 1.3 million ha for 99 years to produce maize and palm oil in Madagascar. The whole harvest was intended to be exported to Korea and the terms of the contract were skewed in favour of the company. Because of the threat on the right to food of the Malagasy people and on the right of all peoples to freely dispose of their land and natural resources, opposition to this project arose among the Malagasy population. The Collective for the Defence of Malagasy Land has addressed several petitions to the Malagasy government demanding the immediate stop of all land lease projects and the revision of laws allowing foreign companies to acquire or lease land.
Please send letters to the president of the Malagasy High Authority of the Transition, Mr Andry Rajoelina, supporting these demands. Please also send letters to the president of the Republic of Korea recalling its extra-territorial human rights obligations in these projects. Please send copies of your letters to the Collective for the Defence of Malagasy Land and to the Coalition Paysanne de Madagascar.