Land claimed by foreign investors could feed 550 million people
Land suitable for private and foreign investors in some of the poorest countries in the world could feed about 550 million people, reveals a new study.The crops cultivated in these lands â€" dropped to wild life and natives â€" are often exported or used to produce biofuels, but this new study indicates that could end with malnutrition if the land was used to grow food for local populations.Since 2000, at least 31 million hectares of land were acquired by foreign investors, seeking to ensure secure food supplies for developed countries or to increase production of its business. Most of these territories claimed lies in Africa, especially in Sudan. But Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are also sought-after locations, referred to the Guardian.Buyers argue that foreign investment can increase the income of those countries, promote development and create jobs. However, opponents to these acquisitions indicate that in most cases the purchase takes place without the consent of the people who live there."Crucial to this debate is the knowledge of the magnitude of the phenomenon: how many people could be fed," indicates Maria Cristina Rulli, Professor at the Milan Polytechnic Institute and author of the study. The study found that even with the lands that are used for the production of biofuels, land purchased could handle between 300 to 500 million people if the returns offered by land were increased to the levels of Western industrialized agriculture. Even without this improvement, about 190 to 370 million people could be fed.Foto: hdptcar / Creative Commons
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