Media Advisory: Indian Agriculture Investments in Ethiopia: A Boon or a Bane?

MEDIA ADVISORY: For Press Conference on February 5, 2013

Media Contacts: Anuradha Mittal +1-510-469-5228, [email protected]

Ashwin Parulkar 91-9650930467, [email protected]

Indian Agriculture Investments in Ethiopia: A Boon or a Bane?

The reality on the ground and its human rights implications

The acquisition of land in foreign countries for commercial farm ventures is not new, but it is growing fast. Some 203 million hectares of land were acquired by foreign investors between 2000 and 2010, with over 70% of large-scale land acquisitions made in Sub Saharan Africa.

Between 2008 and 2011, Ethiopia leased out nearly 3.6 million hectares of land for commercial farm ventures to domestic and foreign investors. Most of these investments are made possible by Ethiopian government’s villagization program that will forcibly relocate over 1.5 million people from their homes. Gambella is one of the regions targeted by such forced evictions.  

With over 600,000 hectares of land already acquired and several agro-industrial projects underway, Indian enterprises comprise the largest share of investors in the country.  Between 2006 and 2009, Indian enterprises invested $4 billion in Ethiopian farmland. India’s Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry has been supporting this trend.  EXIM Bank has announced a $640 million line of credit to the Ethiopian Government over five years to boost sugar production in the country’s Lower Omo region which commit Ethiopia to import 75% of the value of the credit line in the form of Indian goods and services. 

Against this backdrop, the new reports from the Oakland Institute and the press conference will expose the social, economic, and political outcomes for the impacted local population.

WHAT:  “Impacts of Indian Agricultural Investments in Ethiopia” – a press conference with the release of new reports by the Oakland Institute (OI).

WHO: Several representatives from impacted communities along with OI researchers, and Indian civil society will share experiences and response of the people on the ground to investments. 

WHERE: Press Club of India, 1, Raisina Road, New Delhi-110 001

WHEN: 4:00-6:00 pm, February 5, 2013

Read the FAQs about Indian investment in Ethiopia

Partial List of Indian Investors in Ethiopia

• Karuturi Global:  100,000 ha in first phase and 200,000 in the second to grow palm, cereal and pulses at 20 birr ($1.09)/ha/year for 50 years.
• Emami Biotech: 100,000 ha to grow jatropha and edible oil seeds.
• S&P Energy Solutions: 50,000 ha to grow biofuels and edible crops at 143.4 birr ($7.82)/ha/year for 25 years.
• Shapoorii Pallonii:  50,000 ha in Gambella.
• Almidha: 28,000 ha to grow sugar.
• BHO Bio: 27,000 ha to grow cereals, pulses, and edible oils at 158 birr ($8.62)/ha/year for 25 years.
• CLC Industries: 25,000 ha to grow cotton at 665.85 birr ($36.34)/ha/year for 50 years.
• Ruchi Soya: 25,000 ha to grow soya bean at 111 birr ($6.06)/ha/year for 25 years.
• Sannati Agro Farm Enterprises:  10,000 ha to grow rice, cereals, pulses at 158 birr ($8.62)/ha/year for 25 years.
• Whitefield Cotton Farm: 10,000 ha to grow cotton at 158birr ($8.62)/ha/year for 25 years.
• Razia Agro Industry: Establishment of a sugar mill in the Oromia Regional State.
• Vedanta Harvests: 3,012 ha to grow tea and allied crops at 111 birr ($6.06)/ha/year for 25 years.
• Uttam Sucrotech: Expansion of the Wonji-Shoa sugar factory.
• Neha International: Floriculture, rice, maize, oilseeds and pulses in the Oromia region.