In a new report published on Tuesday, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warns that export-oriented, large-scale land acquisition could threaten food security in developing countries by replacing existing food production for local markets. The report comprises cases studies on agriculture-related foreign direct investment in nine countries, among them Brazil, Ghana, Senegal, Thailand and Uganda. It found that investment projects in which local farmers play an active role and maintain control over their land while using the investors’ capital, technology and marketing expertise were most beneficial to local economies and social development. “While a number of studies document the negative impacts of large-scale land acquisition in developing countries, there is much less evidence of its benefits to the host country. For investments involving large-scale land acquisition in countries where land rights are unclear and insecure, the disadvantages often outweigh the few benefits to the local community” conludes Pascal Liu from the FAO’s Trade and Markets Division. The report debunks the myth that these land deals generate employment for the local population: Several case studies showed that fewer jobs were created than initially promised, with demand for labour decreasing over time. Even the low-skilled jobs were given to non-locals. Foreign investors acquired the best plots of land with high soil fertility, irrigation and good market access, often leading to the displacement of local farmers and pastoralists, as well as the degradation of natural resources. The FAO stressed that investment in agriculture is needed – around 80 billion US dollar per year – to feed more than nine billion people in 2050. But “it is important that any international investment should bring development benefits to the receiving country if those investments are to be ‘win-win’ rather than ‘neo-colonialism”, said David Hallam, Director of the FAO’s Trade and Markets Division.