Ukraine, the most recent state to fall to a US backed coup, was/is not only coveted for strategic geographic/geopolitical position (re: control of oil/gas), but also for its rich black soil. Soil is the new oil of the 21st century. From a report published June 2013: Land Grabs in the Black Earth: Ukrainian Oligarchs and International Investors Excerpt: Foreign corporations and Ukrainian agro-holdings are currently seizing massive amounts of Ukraine’s agricultural land. Since this trend does not involve the displacement of the rural population or directly endanger their subsistence, and gives at least the impression of offering inclusive terms, it is hard to see much evidence of local resistance (Mamonova, 2012). But the phenomenon represents a disturbing case of controlling, capturing and concentrating decisions regarding Ukraine’s land use and agricultural model in few private hands. In Ukraine, land grabbing is to some extent about the transfer of formal ownership but primarily it is about who has de facto control over the land. Ukraine, formerly the breadbasket of the Soviet Union, is now a major crop producer for the world market. The country has over 32 million hectares (ha) of arable land, which is equivalent to roughly one third of the arable land in the entire European Union (EU) (FAOSTAT, 2012). Its location on the Black Sea and its fertile black soil – it possesses 25 percent of the world’s so-called Chernozem – make Ukraine attractive to agricultural producers and investors. Moreover, agriculture is now considered as a main business opportunity in the Black Earth (Invest Ukraine, 2011)... boell.de/en/2013/10/30/land-grabs-black-earth-ukrainian-oligarchs-and-international-investors
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 21:13:06 +0000
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