Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Global Landgrab or Agricultural Boom?

The following video from Al Jazeera raises alarm over international "land grabbing"-where some countries (like China) have reportedly been purchasing huge tracts of land from other nations (e.g. Congo).



The report's peculiar paradox is that it implies (selling) governments as having little knowledge of their own national interests while international experts "know" better, and have been calling for a world regulatory body like the UN to officiate.

Moreover, landgrabbing is supposedly a coercive activity, yet countries have done deals via bilateral or voluntary exchange-another incoherence.

It also seems a ridiculous assertion for so-called experts to actually perceive knowledge over the "true" worth of international land traded, when these experts aren't even residents from the countries involved!

In addition, it is noteworthy that these experts appears to have upgraded the level their opponents from 'capitalists' to 'governments' in their quest towards global socialism.

From our end, the video, socialism aside, has very significant political economic implications.

It means the deepening dynamics to secure food supplies, it also means a huge demand for agricultural properties and a risk of a geopolitical crisis as corollary to global food crisis.


Alternatively it suggests of prospective agricultural boom.

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