Horn of Africa reporters have been tracing the aggressive entry of foreign investors who have leased from Ethiopian government large tracts of arable land. Reporter Tizita Belachew gives an overview of what some critics have called the "new colonialism."
The director
of Ethiopia's farm development program, Tarekenge Tsege, said large farms are
bringing in knowledge, technology, job opportunity, economic growth and foreign
exchange for Ethiopia. According to Tarekenge foreign investors have provided
375 thousand permanent and 1.8 million temporary jobs so far.
Critics such as Anuradha Mital, director of Oakland Institute charge that these
foreign farm companies never bring food security or development to a
country.
Mital cites
this institute's figures compiled on Ethiopia and other African countries that
illustrate displacement of farmers and threats of land degradation and other
environmental threats.
Tizita interviews two farmers in Oromiya who talk about their displaced
neighbors.
Hear this overview in Amharic by Tizita Belachew.