Land deals in Africa: What is in the contracts?

 A must read right here!..sometimes you wonder whats in it for the big guns who fully participate to sell land for what they call 'recreational purposes and further agriculture' or so, land that we never see again, e.g sold inch by inch. They tell us  that its for our own development but in the end we don't benefit quite as much as the buyers get, and hence you wonder, whats in it for them and What is in that Damn contract? We've seen how the West is back for scramble of land in Africa buying any inch they can get their hands on and you wonder how our guys got persuaded into deceitful traps that sometimes....lead nowhere....

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Over the past few years, agribusiness, investment funds and government agencies have been acquiring long-term rights over large areas of land in Africa. Together with applicable national and international law, contracts define the terms of an investment project, and the way risks, costs and benefits are distributed. Who has the authority to sign the contract and through what process greatly influences the extent to which people can have their voices heard. Yet very little is known about the exact terms of the land deals. 

Drawing on the legal analysis of twelve land deals from different parts of Africa, this report discusses the contractual issues for which public scrutiny is most needed, and aims to promote informed public debate about them.
Steven Ogwa