Publication

With food prices increasing in 2008, the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) increased their efforts to ensure food security. A key component of this has been the acquisition of foreign land in order to establish intensive agriculture. This paper examines the foreign investment strategies of GCC members. Using Ethiopia as a case study, the author argues that there are opportunities to improve agricultural productivity in developing countries. However, the current strategy of GCC member states is flawed as it does not guarantee productivity improvements and risks creating unrest through the dispossession of local farmers. The author suggests that foreign investments should be targeted at enhancing local farmers' productivity so that they can create surplus food for export.