Mozambique has leased huge tracts of land to foreign investors in the past decade, according to a new report.
The National Peasants Union investigated public records and interviewed farmers, thousands of whom have been displaced by land leases. The Union claims that the country has signed at least 35 long-term leases since 2006, covering more than 535,000 hectares.
Advocates say the food grown on the new plantations is for export rather than feeding hungry locals. Vicente Adriano is a spokesperson for the Union. He says, “The small farmers who feed this country, producing over 90 per cent of the food, are now losing their land to make way for these large investments.”
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