Today we again take up the issue of rich nations buying up farmland in other countries. The trend continues and will take on dramatic proportions for farmers in poor countries, if international rules are not put in place quickly to regulate the farmland market and harness financial powers. Rules must rapidly be worked out to ensure a win-win outcome for both sides - the investors and the target countries (not just the individuals holding the political power, but first and foremost the general population). But what transpires at present makes us fear the worst.

Saudi Arabia for instance has just started a vast programme of “food production abroad”. For this purpose an investment company, FORAS International, has been set up, with financing from the Saudi government, The Islamic Development Bank and Saudi businessmen.

FORAS has informed the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) of its purchase of 500 000 hectares (ha) of farmland in Senegal and 200 000 ha in Mali for rice production (1 ha = 10 000m²) (according to a document circulated by GRAIN in September this year).

IRRI was informed because FORAS had requested its advice on the management of the land acquired in Senegal and Mali. But as far I know the farmers of those countries had not been informed of this move by their governments. Smallholders in these regions are not even certain of having a part in the Saudi plan, called 7 x 7, estimated to produce 7 million ton rice annually during a 7 year period on the 700 000 ha of land.

Mali has already handed over 100 000 ha of irrigated land to Libya in the Niger River Basin. What will remain for the Mali people a couple of years from now?

The Mali and Senegalese farmers’ unions would help their sister organisations in other African countries immensely, if they could get hold of the terms and conditions of these contracts and publish them. That would also be a good deed in preparation of the 2010 Convention on African Rice to be held in Bamako, Mali from March 22 – 26 next year. A detailed analysis of the contracts would no doubt be helpful for the working out of a number of principles.

An answer must be found to the question “How to facilitate investment without creating a new brand of colonialism?”

Considering that Senegal is the second largest importer of rice in Africa (after Nigeria), it would be fair to think that attracting investors who would be prepared to fund the production of rice for the Senegalese and subsequently also for the West African Common Market would be a better choice.

These operations carry with them the risk of strengthening food security for the Saudi to the detriment of the Senegalese and Mali people. There are certainly many more of them who suffer from hunger than there are in Saudi Arabia !

I now learn that the next FAO World Summit on food securi ty is financed by Saudi Arabia ! The powerful and mighty can sleep in peace ! Their food security is guaranteed !

Family farmers would do well in strengthening their organisations at the lo cal, regional, national and international level, if they do not want to be extinguished and leave everything to agribusiness. Consumers should also take part, if they care to preserve access to varied, healthy and culturally su itable food.

Koudougou, October 24t h, 2009-11-05

Maurice Oudet

Director, SEDELAN