Woodrow Wilson Center to host world 'land grab' conference May 5, Washington DC

Land Grab: The Race for the World's Farmland

May 05 2009, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Event Details

The world is experiencing a grain rush. With increasing frequency, wealthy, food-importing countries as well as the private sector are investing in farmland overseas. This conference examines the patterns and motivations of such investment, considers the implications for investors, host countries, and food security, and features case studies from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the former Soviet Union.

Conference Speakers

Carl Atkin, Partner and Head of Research, Bidwells Agribusiness
Gary R. Blumenthal, President and CEO, World Perspectives, Inc.
David Hallam, Deputy Director, Trade and Markets Division, Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)
Chido Makunike, Agricultural Exporter and Consultant (Senegal)
Ruth Meinzen-Dick,Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Raul Q. Montemayor, National Manager, Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives, Inc. (the Philippines)
Alexandra Spieldoch, Director, Trade and Global Governance Program,
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)

Moderators

Michael Kugelman, Program Associate, Asia Program, Wilson Center

Sue L. Levenstein, Program Assistant, Asia Program, Wilson Center

This event has been organized by the Wilson Center's Asia Program and is cosponsored by the Center's Africa Program; Environmental Change and Security Program; Comparative Urban Studies Project; and the Program on Science, Technology, America, and the Global Economy.

For more details... http://www.wilsoncenter.org/farmlandgrab