China is considering purchasing farmland abroad in an attempt to guarantee food security at home. A draft proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture would make supporting offshore land acquisition a central government policy, the FT reports - and outsource some of the production of foodstuffs for the home market.
High inflation - food prices rose by 25 per cent year on year in the
first quarter - and the loss of arable land to urban development is
forcing China to consider buying or leasing farmland abroad for use by
domestic agricultural companies. Statistics reveal that China is home
to about 40 per cent of the world's farmers, but it only owns nine per
cent of the world's arable land.
Africa and South America are said to be regions of interest, with the
possibility also of leasing land in Russia. Other countries are also
looking to purchase foreign land for agricultural and livestock
projects, notably Libya - which is in talks with Ukraine about growing
wheat.
News & Interviews 
China is considering purchasing farmland abroad in an attempt to guarantee food security at home. A draft proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture would make supporting offshore land acquisition a central government policy, the FT reports - and outsource some of the production of foodstuffs for the home market.
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