Autorenarchive: accaparement

This research finds that both food speculation and the financing of land grabs are issues with great significance for Europe. It appears that a broad list of EU-based private financial institutions – banks, pension funds and insurance companies – are involved in trading or marketing investment products based on agricultural commodity futures or other agricultural commodity derivatives and complex instruments. A significant number of financial institutions across Europe appear to also be involved in financing land grabs directly or indirectly.

Brussels (Belgium), January 2012 / 44 pages

This paper focuses on the renewed interest in purchasing or leasing land, and securing water rights for agricultural production; it does not focus on other forms of foreign investment in agriculture. In Sections 2 and 3, it identifies the key drivers behind the recent surge in these investments, and examines prevailing trends in reported land contracts. In Section 4, the range of legal issues. associated with these types of contracts, including in relation to domestic law, the international investment contracts and international investment agreements, is identified.

Winnipeg (Canada), May 2009 / 26 pages

This study has five main parts. The first gives a global overview and emphasizes the indisputable reality of the large-scale land acquisitions. The second details the target countries and regions. It looks at the determinants of investment decisions and inquires whether investors really target marginal land. Thirdly, this study examines the investor countries, the investors and their characteristics. The fourth part focuses on learning more aboutt he drivers of the global increase in demand for land. Finally, the processes of large-scale land acquisitions are examined, including an assessment of compensation and potential benefits.

Bern/Montpellier/Hamburg / avril 2012 / 52 pages

This paper investigates the real financial consequences of investing in land with disputed tenure rights. It demonstrates that companies which ignore the issue of land tenure expose themselves to substantial, and in some cases extreme, risks. Using case study analysis, the paper connects ground-up financial thinking with empirical reality. In so doing, it makes a strong case for the need to integrate tenure-related risks more comprehensively into our financial architecture.

Washington / January 2013 / 34 pages