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Growing Resource Scarcity and Global Farmland Investment

Author

Listed:
  • Derek Byerlee

    (Independent researcher)

  • Klaus Deininger

    (World Bank, Washington, DC 20433)

Abstract

Recent strong commodity prices have led to increased investor interest in farmland. Global analysis indicates that suitable land to bring into cultivation is available but concentrated in a limited number of land-abundant countries in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. In a much larger number of countries, productivity on currently cultivated land is significantly below potential. Higher returns to farming and relatively cheap land have contributed to a wave of investments into farming, mostly through very large ventures in land-rich countries. If land and other markets work well and a regulatory framework is in place, there are opportunities to generate considerable benefits by providing access to capital, technology, and new markets. However, investments have often been controversial because poor land governance and weak institutional capacity have made many of these ventures economically, socially, or environmentally unsustainable. Strengthening land governance and institutions and increasing public investment to raise smallholder productivity are major priorities for most countries to improve development outcomes from these investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Derek Byerlee & Klaus Deininger, 2013. "Growing Resource Scarcity and Global Farmland Investment," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 5(1), pages 13-34, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:anr:reseco:v:5:y:2013:p:13-34
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    File URL: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-resource-091912-151849
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Rabah Arezki & Klaus Deininger & Harris Selod, 2015. "What Drives the Global "Land Rush"?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 207-233.
    2. Klaus Deininger & Denys Nizalov & Sudhir K Singh, 2013. "Are mega-farms the future of global agriculture? Exploring the farm size-productivity relationship for large commercial farms in Ukraine," Discussion Papers 49, Kyiv School of Economics.
    3. Deininger, Klaus & Nizalov, Denys & Singh, Sudhir K, 2013. "Are mega-farms the future of global agriculture ? exploring the farm size-productivity relationship," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6544, The World Bank.
    4. Habtamu Alem, 2023. "A parametric analysis of eco-efficiency and its determinants: Evidence from Norwegian dairy farms," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 69(7), pages 284-290.
    5. Wegenast, Tim & Richetta, Cécile & Krauser, Mario & Leibik, Alexander, 2022. "Grabbed trust? The impact of large-scale land acquisitions on social trust in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    6. Chi Su & Richard A. Schoney & James F. Nolan, 2023. "Buy, sell or rent the farm: succession planning and the future of farming on the Great Plains," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 18(3), pages 627-669, July.
    7. Solomon Haile Gebrezgabher, 2024. "Property Right Conflict and Contestation in Global South: A Case from Eritrea," Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, Centre for Agrarian Research and Education for South, vol. 13(3), pages 341-367, September.
    8. Wilckyster Nyateko Nyarindo & Amin Mugera & Atakelty Hailu & Gideon Aiko Obare, 2024. "Do combined sustainable agricultural intensification practices improve smallholder farmers welfare? Evidence from eastern and western Kenya," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 55(2), pages 296-312, March.
    9. Alexandra Langford & Geoffrey Lawrence & Kiah Smith, 2021. "Financialization for Development? Asset Making on Indigenous Land in Remote Northern Australia," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(3), pages 574-597, May.
    10. Deininger, Klaus & Hilhorst, Thea & Songwe, Vera, 2014. "Identifying and addressing land governance constraints to support intensification and land market operation: Evidence from 10 African countries," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 76-87.
    11. Ostapchuk, Igor & Gagalyuk, Taras & Curtiss, Jarmila, 2021. "Post-acquisition integration and growth of farms: the case of Ukrainian agroholdings," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 24(4), April.
    12. Xiaoyu Jiang & Yangfen Chen, 2020. "The Potential of Absorbing Foreign Agricultural Investment to Improve Food Security in Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-19, March.
    13. Davide Tonelli & Lorenzo Rosa & Paolo Gabrielli & Ken Caldeira & Alessandro Parente & Francesco Contino, 2023. "Global land and water limits to electrolytic hydrogen production using wind and solar resources," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    14. Aminou Arouna & Jeffrey D. Michler & Wilfried G. Yergo & Kazuki Saito, 2021. "One Size Fits All? Experimental Evidence on the Digital Delivery of Personalized Extension Advice in Nigeria," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(2), pages 596-619, March.
    15. Dell'Angelo, Jampel & Rulli, Maria Cristina & D'Odorico, Paolo, 2018. "The Global Water Grabbing Syndrome," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 276-285.
    16. Otieno, David Jakinda, 2021. "Determinants of Rural Households’ Participation in Land Markets in Kenya," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315128, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Byerlee, Derek R., 2012. "KEYNOTE ADDRESS: A global land rush?," 2012: The Scramble for Natural Resources: More Food, Less Land?, 9-10 October 2012 152404, Crawford Fund.
    18. Rabah Arezki & Klaus Deininger & Harris Selod, 2015. "What Drives the Global "Land Rush"?," World Bank Economic Review, World Bank Group, vol. 29(2), pages 207-233.

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