It seems the land rush for farmland has begun and it is occurring far outside the borders of the U.S. Investors are acquiring farmland worldwide, betting on the increasing price of food, while hedging against breakdowns in worldwide trade. Governments and private investors alike are getting in on the action, scooping up land in remote areas of the globe.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recently released a study documenting foreign investor purchases of 2.5 million hectares of African farmland. In Zimbabwe, China bought 100,000 hectares, one of a series of investments resulting in over one million Chinese farmers relocating to Africa. The governments of South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar also recently purchased hectares of African farmland.
Private investor groups are also jumping on the bandwagon. Indian companies are purchasing large amounts of land in Africa and South America. Well-known investor George Soros recently raised $350 million for the purchase of Asian, Central Asian, and Eastern European farmland. World Bank agricultural expert John Lamb points to reports that indicate that large investors and foreign countries have recently purchased over 125 million acres of farmland worldwide, equating to a land area over one-third larger than the country of Germany.
How do average people like us find farmland available for purchase? We may not have the networks of these governments and wealthy investors but we do have the power of the Internet. All that needs to be done is to search the Web for available farmland. There are realtors that specialize in the sale of farmland throughout the country and the world. They can point us in the right direction based on our budget and geographic preferences.
There are also sites that feature online classifieds for farmland. A Web search will even reveal these sites located in other countries like the UK. Those desiring farmland within the local area can just drive around to find land posted for sale.
Related posts:
- How To Invest In Agriculture In Other Countries
- How To Find And Buy Cheap Farmland
- Investing In Your Own Farmland
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