Africa
Amid hunger, foreign companies in race to 'grab' Ethiopia's arable land
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The PM recently welcomed a Saudi agriculture delegation and expressed his eagerness to provide hundreds of thousands of hectares of agricultural land for investment.” Photo/REUTERS
By ARGAW ASHINE, NATION Correspondent
Posted Thursday, August 13 2009 at 12:14
Posted Thursday, August 13 2009 at 12:14
In Summary
- United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India, China and South Korea among states seeking farms in Ethiopia.
- India leads the "land grabbing" race, with more than $2.5 billion in agricultural investment
- Currently, more than 5.2 million Ethiopians need emergency food aid
- Agriculture ministry official argues that large scale foreign commercial farming is a way to end poverty and hunger.
The ruling party will meet to revisit the proposed land-use policy shift on the upcoming annual meeting next September.
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