German Investment Funds involved in Land Grabbing
The phenomenon of land grabbing is heavily being discussed. First efforts to explain this land rush focused strongly on the government or government-supported activities of water- and fertile-land-scarce Arab and Asian countries.
In the course of 2009 and 2010, indications that other actors are at least equally relevant became more and more substantial. Especially the financial sector seemed to have been overlooked. Then, different sources like the World Bank or the OECD came up with indications of how profound the role of the financial sector is.
Several studies conducted by of NGOs also focused on the role of these “new land owners”. Also, well-attended international conferences organised by financial actors have been held around the globe to further promote the involvement of the financial sector in the land and agribusiness.
This study aims to add another part to the puzzle by focussing on the role of the German private sector. This is especially interesting because until now there have been only few relatively small activities documented where German companies are directly involved in land grabbing. The German private sector was seen as a very minor actor in this global rush for land.
Editor: Roman Herre
Published by FIAN Germany, www.fian.de
Germany December 2010