Dr. Edward Lahiff:

Some people call foreign direct investment in agriculture, land-grabbing. It is an emotive term. It is not entirely something that is imposed from outside on the developing world. Developing country governments, for one reason or another, collaborate with it. It could not happen without their say-so, but for one reason or another they see it as the best option or the only option for development. They are persuaded of that by trust funds from governments, not just from the northern hemisphere but from the southern hemisphere also as China, India and Brazil are all very active in this area. It does speak directly to the very weak land rights, property rights and human rights of many non-literate people, women in particular, in developing countries whose rights are ignored by the international community and their own governments. That is the harsh reality.

We must look at empowering local communities but we must also look at the development models of agriculture that are being foisted on developing countries. If the Government of Ethiopia is told that the only way out of poverty is to grow more export crops then the ones who will grow them are companies providing irrigation and infrastructure and the small, subsistence food producers who are looking after their own neck of the woods will be pushed to one side. It is a huge question. It is about how we conceive of development. Do we see it as being the old-fashioned modernisation, top-down paradigm or do we see it as empowering local people and allowing, for example, the Government of Malawi to give subsidies on fertiliser to allow peasants to grow a little more maize to feed their families? Or do we insist on a First World elimination of subsidies and the opening up of free trade, which leaves governments with limited options?