" Land-Grabbing" in Africa?  

No land is being "Grabbed".It is being bought in a willing-seller/willing- buyer trAnsaction.=Trade?And it is being used in a 'Lease-hold' for a number of years arrangement. It is not being STOLEN at gun-point, as the Europeans "Colonialists" did in North & South America,in SE Asia(i.e. Australia & New Zealand), or as in Africa after the notorious European "Scramble for Africa"(1885). Pls stop carrying anti-Muslim propoganda! BE FAIR.

Missing the point  

It has much more to do with the worst aspects of capitalism than Islam.

The local people whose land is being grabbed tend not to have been given their prior free and informed consent. They have also not yet had a chance to appreciate the implications of the land grab - guns will be primed when they do.

If the land were wisely used

Land transaction within a sound structure may ensure good employment status,better the infrastructure and improve the crop production.----There is a wide range of utilizable territories and little population in Africa, so why can't they rent the land to other countries?If the utilization wouldn't cause land degradation and environmental demage,and add profit to the local employment, then it will be a great approach to cooperation.The land-trade companies in Africa sold the grain at a lower price to the local people, or give them grain as a subsidy.We all know the reason why Africa has struggled with hunger for so many years.I don't believe that the "New colonialism" is the one to be blame.

Translated by Yaqing

Developers should be moral, for the benefit of locals

Developers should exploit fertile land in an uncontaminated way, in case of impoverishment of the soils in the future. On the other hand, they should benefit indigene, give feedback to local and seek mutual prosperity. The local government in Africa should not sell their lands for only financial interest. Developers and local governments should have ethics and responsibility, in order to avoid various crises to the local people.

Comment 3: Why do local people in Africa suffer from hunger?  

Sorry, I do not know why Africa struggles to escape hunger.

Is it because the local people are African, their governments' land-use policies are corrupt, because more than two generations ago their countries were colonies?

Or is it because, although they are good farmers, the land and weather are not conducive to greater output on a sustainable basis? It may also be that they feel that their local values are superior to materialism?

As those old enough would remember, many large scale agriculture projects failed during the 1970s and 80s.
It is widely known that climate change caused by others (particularly, China, Europe, India and the USA) is increasing the risk of crop failure in much of Africa.

Displacing local people by agri-business is obviously not a solution. Neither is industrialisation - China would outcompete them. Benign family planning and education for women would be a help - but aid agencies and politicians refuse to promote this.

Comment 5 : you are right

Why do you say that you don't know the reason of Africans suffering hunger? I think every item that you said is right. Because they are developing countries, their government are corrupt, and they were colony before the last century. Because the Climate change aggravated their failure of land farming.
Neither commercializing agriculture is the solution, nor the industrialization. But who set the wrong model for China, toward the industrialization? Who set the wrong example for Africa, headed to the industrialization still? The capitalists and politicians would never hope the "proles" becoming smarter, so how are they willing to improve the education?
(Translated by margaret.li)

思考

对一些国家来说，这其实是一场水资源的交易。沙特阿拉伯由于水资源无法永久持续供给，放弃了自给自足的农业模式。对另外一些国家来说，这是一个商业机遇。谴责这些交易是新殖民主义是不恰当的。关键是，当地政府愿意实行有意义的土地改革，并告知当地人民他们的土地被怎么运用了。商业化农业运作有其一定的意义，但是不应该以牺牲小型土地所有者为代价。