In the period leading up to the July 2008 WTO ministerial meeting, the crisis of soaring food prices was used both to argue for a speedy resolution of the negotiations, and to argue against any further reductions in protection that might result from a new agreement. Are the arguments relating to...

Les achats de terres agricoles par des étrangers, en Afrique et ailleurs, sont devenus un motif d’inquiétude. De nombreux observateurs considèrent qu’ils équivalent à une forme moderne de colonialisme et qu’ils menacent la sécurité alimentaire des populations pauvres. Cependant, les...

Foreign acquisitions of farmland in Africa and elsewhere have become the focus of concern. Many observers consider them a new form of colonialism that threatens food security of the poor. However, investments could be good news if the objectives of land purchasers are reconciled with the...

Las adquisiciones extranjeras de tierras agrícolas en África y en otras partes se han vuelto un motivo de preocupación. Muchos observadores las consideran una nueva forma de colonialismo que amenaza la seguridad alimentaria de los pobres. Sin embargo, las inversiones podrían ser una buena...

Is there something really new about "land grab" except its extent? What is wrong with an investment contract allowing the holder to buy a farm and to export wheat to Saudi Arabia, or soybeans and maize as cattle feed to Korea, or to plant and process sugar cane and palm oil into ethanol for...

Genetically modified (“GMO”) corn germinates legal controversies in México. Since 2013, Mexican courts have temporarily suspended GMO corn because it threatens biodiversity. In the Colectividad del Maíz lawsuit, courts have prohibited México from issuing commercial GMO permits while the...

The number of hungry in the world has crossed the one billion mark, a dubious milestone that has been attributed in large part to consecutive food and economic crises. Over ninety-eight percent of these individuals live in the developing world. Ironically, a great majority are involved in food...

Plant-based transportation fuels were the focus of extended criticism in the press, especially during 2008 when a portion of the blame for a spike in global food prices was associated with growth of the United States’ corn ethanol industry. The critique is based on an unsophisticated portrayal...