The International Land Market: Development Opportunity or Neo-Colonialism?

1 INTRODUCTION Land is a precious resource: source of life, energy, nourishment. There are several reasons and implications to better understand the international land market. Commercial interest for this resource strongly increased after the financial crisis that hit the international markets in 2008 and still is actual. Land is in fact at the center of political and economical debate in many countries, in a world seeking for energy, food and profits. Experts of the international community look with fear to the recent increases in basic foodstuffs price: rich countries, but poor in resources, may want to ensure the necessary food reserves elsewhere. Thus would result in a new wave of acquisitions, making the land a profitable investment to speculators. In addition, concerns about oil availability led many countries to launch programs towards the use of biofuels, implying more pressure on arable land. Also the constant population growth, climate change and water over-use all contribute to the actual situation, where fertile lands of the South have become increasingly precious. In this complex and cumbersome background emerge the “land grabbing” phenomenon, the 21 st century gold rush. Countries like Saudi Arabia, China and India as well as the multinational agribusiness are interested in creating huge plantations for the food production or for biofuels, while several financial companies, such as hedge funds and pension funds, are convinced that agricultural investment can guarantee safe profits. The point is that arable land is