Fingerlakespermaculture mailing list

[Paul Roge <proge AT riseup.net>]

Hedging on Hunger

Join food justice activists, African students, OWS groups,and 
environmental organizations challenging agricultural investment
that harms communities and the environment at the Global AgInvesting 
(GAI) conference

Meet at 10:30 am

Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Ave., New York

<http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/take-action-against-land-grabs-tuesday-april-24-waldorf-astoria>Download
 
full information

<http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/take-action-against-land-grabs-tuesday-april-24-waldorf-astoria>http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/take-action-against-land-grabs-tuesday-april-24-waldorf-astoria


For more information contact:

Jeff Furman, jfurman AT twcny.rr.com; Frederic Mousseau, 
fmousseau AT oaklandinstitute.org (510) 512-5458; Anuradha Mittal: 
amittal AT oaklandinstitute.org/(510) 469-5228


April 23-25, New York's hotel Waldorf Astoria is the venue for the 
fourth annual Global AgInvesting (GAI) conference. The $3,000 
admission ticket is not for the small land holders from Africa or 
farmers who resemble John Steinbeck's Joad family. Instead, it 
targets institutional and global end investors, and fund managers - 
all mulling over economic opportunities that agricultural lands have 
to offer.

This year in attendance are several retirement and pension funds 
including Alaska Retirement Board and California State Teachers' 
Retirement System, among others. Philanthropic institutions such as 
the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation are also present, with 
hopes of translating their investments into "development" for the 
world's poor. Joining them are the fund managers of endowments of 
several U.S. universities, including Harvard, Princeton, and Yale 
among several others. They, like Lockheed Martin Investment 
Management Company, view agriculture as the new soft commodity market 
where they can see their monies grow.

Such conferences provide a platform from which fund managers connect 
with potential investors and make mouthwatering promises. Susan 
Payne, current CEO of EmVest and ex CEO of Emergent Asset Management, 
for instance, promises 20 to 40 per cent returns, hailing the low 
cost of African land as "an arbitrage opportunity." Real estate 
speculative opportunities are behind her claim, "we could be moronic 
and not grow anything and we think we would make money over the next 
decade." Lured by such promises, Harvard University and Vanderbilt 
University have both invested in the fund in the past.

While billed as an ag conference, this event is about making high 
returns. Ensuring food or water security are not its concerns. For 
example the first question the water session hopes to address is 
"What are the real economic opportunities in water now?"

An examination of over 50 land deals in several African nations over 
the last four years by the Oakland Institute revealed that land and 
agriculture investments, touted as development opportunities for host 
nations, actually come with high costs to local communities. Some of 
what our research uncovered includes the displacement of hundreds of 
thousands of small farmers, the diversion of water without 
environmental impact studies, the use of unsustainable farm 
practices, the failure to meet job creation and other promises, and 
special tax and other financial incentives so that the financial 
returns can be met.

A key driver behind this land rush is the yearly rental for prime 
farm land in Africa: often less than a cup of coffee per hectare! In 
fact the cost of admission to the GAI conference could get one 
control of over 1,000 hectares of prime farm land.

As awareness around the impacts of such investments grows, people are 
taking action. Occupy Harvard and other student groups have called 
for Harvard to divest from Emergent. Vanderbilt's Fair Food Coalition 
is asking for the same. Iowa State University has buckled under media 
and student campaigns after the revelation of its involvement in a 
land deal in Tanzania which would displace over 160,000 people. These 
efforts gain momentum as they connect to resistance on the ground. In 
South Sudan the President halted a land deal when the local community 
protested that their lands had been secretly leased to a U.S. 
investor. In Sierra Leone, civil society groups have launched a 
national land transparency initiative.

It is not disputed that the people and resources of Africa have 
centuries of history of exploitation. It is, therefore, incumbent on 
us to be vigilant regarding claims that any particular foreign profit 
driven investment in Africa will benefit the African people.

Agriculture does need investment. Such investment must be fully 
transparent and mechanisms to hold investors accountable must be 
firmly in place. The high economic returns that are promised at these 
conferences come at a cost to the poor. Africa has given more than 
enough.


If you are in New York, please plan on joining the mobilization at 
10:30 am on April 24, 2012 at Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Ave.


###


The Oakland Institute is an independent policy think tank working to 
increase public participation and promote fair debate on critical 
social, economic and environmental issues.

<http://www.oaklandinstitute.org>www.oaklandinstitute.org

Become a Fan on 
Facebook: 
<https://www.facebook.com/oak.institute>www.facebook.com/oak.institute

Follow us on Twitter: @oak_institute

Title: Hedging on Hunger: Action Against Global AgInvestment Conf

 

 Hedging on Hunger

Join food justice activists, African students, OWS groups,and environmental organizations challenging agricultural investment

that harms communities and the environment at the Global AgInvesting (GAI) conference

Meet at 10:30 am

Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Ave., New York

Download full information

http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/take-action-against-land-grabs-tuesday-april-24-waldorf-astoria

For more information contact:

Jeff Furman, jfurman AT twcny.rr.com; Frederic Mousseau, fmousseau AT oaklandinstitute.org (510) 512-5458; Anuradha Mittal: amittal AT oaklandinstitute.org/(510) 469-5228

April 23-25, New York's hotel Waldorf Astoria is the venue for the fourth annual Global AgInvesting (GAI) conference. The $3,000 admission ticket is not for the small land holders from Africa or farmers who resemble John Steinbeck's Joad family. Instead, it targets institutional and global end investors, and fund managers - all mulling over economic opportunities that agricultural lands have to offer.

This year in attendance are several retirement and pension funds including Alaska Retirement Board and California State Teachers' Retirement System, among others. Philanthropic institutions such as the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation are also present, with hopes of translating their investments into "development" for the world's poor. Joining them are the fund managers of endowments of several U.S. universities, including Harvard, Princeton, and Yale among several others. They, like Lockheed Martin Investment Management Company, view agriculture as the new soft commodity market where they can see their monies grow.

Such conferences provide a platform from which fund managers connect with potential investors and make mouthwatering promises. Susan Payne, current CEO of EmVest and ex CEO of Emergent Asset Management, for instance, promises 20 to 40 per cent returns, hailing the low cost of African land as "an arbitrage opportunity." Real estate speculative opportunities are behind her claim, "we could be moronic and not grow anything and we think we would make money over the next decade." Lured by such promises, Harvard University and Vanderbilt University have both invested in the fund in the past.

While billed as an ag conference, this event is about making high returns. Ensuring food or water security are not its concerns. For example the first question the water session hopes to address is "What are the real economic opportunities in water now?"

An examination of over 50 land deals in several African nations over the last four years by the Oakland Institute revealed that land and agriculture investments, touted as development opportunities for host nations, actually come with high costs to local communities. Some of what our research uncovered includes the displacement of hundreds of thousands of small farmers, the diversion of water without environmental impact studies, the use of unsustainable farm practices, the failure to meet job creation and other promises, and special tax and other financial incentives so that the financial returns can be met.

A key driver behind this land rush is the yearly rental for prime farm land in Africa: often less than a cup of coffee per hectare! In fact the cost of admission to the GAI conference could get one control of over 1,000 hectares of prime farm land.

As awareness around the impacts of such investments grows, people are taking action. Occupy Harvard and other student groups have called for Harvard to divest from Emergent. Vanderbilt's Fair Food Coalition is asking for the same. Iowa State University has buckled under media and student campaigns after the revelation of its involvement in a land deal in Tanzania which would displace over 160,000 people. These efforts gain momentum as they connect to resistance on the ground. In South Sudan the President halted a land deal when the local community protested that their lands had been secretly leased to a U.S. investor. In Sierra Leone, civil society groups have launched a national land transparency initiative.

It is not disputed that the people and resources of Africa have centuries of history of exploitation. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to be vigilant regarding claims that any particular foreign profit driven investment in Africa will benefit the African people.

Agriculture does need investment. Such investment must be fully transparent and mechanisms to hold investors accountable must be firmly in place. The high economic returns that are promised at these conferences come at a cost to the poor. Africa has given more than enough.

If you are in New York, please plan on joining the mobilization at 10:30 am on April 24, 2012 at Waldorf-Astoria, 301 Park Ave.

###

The Oakland Institute is an independent policy think tank working to increase public participation and promote fair debate on critical social, economic and environmental issues.

www.oaklandinstitute.org

Become a Fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/oak.institute

Follow us on Twitter: @oak_institute

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