Down on the Farm
As stock markets languish and interest rumble around record lows, investors are looking to land for high returns. But critics say that agriculture is different and investment should be regulated.
"Buy land," said US writer Mark Twain "they are not making it anymore". Investors are taking his words to heart. Both independent investment funds and state backed vehicles are putting money into agricultural land, and prices are rising. Some like Jeff Conrad of Hancock Agricultural Investment Fund say it's good news for productivity; others like Professor John Peck of Family Farm Defenders criticise the impact of investors on rural communities. Olivier de Schutte of the United Nations raises the alarm for farmers of the less developed world.
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- Mon 4 Oct 2010 07:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Online
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