Food Security and Agri-Foreign Direct Investment in Weak States: Finding the Governance Gap to Avoid 'Land Grab'

The Modern Law Review, Vol. 77, Issue 2, pp. 189-222, 2014

34 Pages Posted: 12 May 2016

Date Written: March 1, 2014

Abstract

Food security is important. A rising world population coupled with climate change creates growing pressure on global world food supplies. States alleviate this pressure domestically by attracting agri-foreign direct investment (agri-FDI). This is a high-risk strategy for weak states: the state may gain valuable foreign currency, technology and debt-free growth; but equally, investors may fail to deliver on their commitments and exploit weak domestic legal infrastructure to ‘grab’ large areas of prime agricultural land, leaving only marginal land for domestic production. A net loss to local food security and to the national economy results. This is problematic because the state must continue to guarantee its citizens’ right to food and property. Agri-FDI needs close regulation to maximise its benefit. This article maps the multilevel system of governance covering agri-FDI. We show how this system creates asymmetric rights in favour of the investor to the detriment of the host state’s food security and how these problems might be alleviated.

Keywords: Land Grab, Investment, Food Security, Human Rights, FDI

Suggested Citation

Häberli, Christian Martin and Smith, Fiona, Food Security and Agri-Foreign Direct Investment in Weak States: Finding the Governance Gap to Avoid 'Land Grab' (March 1, 2014). The Modern Law Review, Vol. 77, Issue 2, pp. 189-222, 2014, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2779216

Christian Martin Häberli (Contact Author)

World Trade Institute ( email )

Hallerstrasse 6/8
Berne, CH-3012
Switzerland

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.wti.org/institute/people/44/haberli-christian/

Fiona Smith

UCL ( email )

Bentham House
4-8 Endsleigh Gardens
London, WC1E OEG
United Kingdom
+44-20-7679-1545 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/academics/profiles/index.shtml?smith

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
55
Abstract Views
451
Rank
670,186
PlumX Metrics