African Farmland Up for Sale: A New Form of Colonialism?

Posted: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 Author: Ed Levandoski

China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are among several countries who are currently involved in purchasing or renting African farmlands. Historically there have been land deals between private individuals but since 2006, nearly all sales and rentals of land have been arranged between two governments. This large increase in the amount of land being purchased is a result of the worldwide 2007-2008 food crisis. Many countries have purchased this land in order to ensure they maintain their food resources.

When the land is purchased the owner has full ownership rights over the land. These rights include the decisions of who to employ and whether or not to export all or a percentage of the crops. This is important for many of the nations, such as Saudi Arabia and South Korea, who do not have many arable lands within their borders, and need to use other sources to ensure their food security. Additionally, with the purchase of the land, the owner also gains full access to all the water that feeds the land, which may lead to conflicts as water becomes scarcer in Africa. Furthermore, when a nation is a short-term tenant, they do not have to consider the long-term status of the land. This may lead the nation to attempt to extract as many resources as possible from the land in a short period of time.

Reactions have been mixed to these new land deals. Some see this as a new form of investment that allows for the development of Africa, while others see this as a "land grab" and a new form of colonialism. Since 2006, over 6.2 million acres of land have been either purchased or rented and are valued at over $920 million US. Since many African governments are short on economic resources, they are more willing to give up land in exchange for cash. The sale of this land and resources can lead to domestic problems, as farmers and people have to search for resources in other locations. These domestic problems can lead to civil unrest, which will pose security threats to the area.