The impact of foreign direct investment on agriculture in Ethiopia : concerns and challenges of the local poor

Abstract

Following the severe increases in agricultural commodities in 2007 and 2008, the low-income countries are highly targeted by Multinational Corporations (MNCs), fund managers and nations who are anxious to ensure their own future food security. A new development has brought about unprecedented large-scale land acquisitions in many developing countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This dissertation provides an up-to-date account of what has been described as 'land rush' or 'land grab' in Africa while the main focus is to provide a comprehensive and analytical discussion on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on agriculture in Ethiopia. The intent is to examine some of the main issues, concerns and challenges associated with the current land investment in Ethiopia as a single, interpretative case study. Besides, this dissertation looks at historical and theoretical perspectives of FDI as well as the dynamics and nature of MNCs, in order to assess some of the most critical implications of FDI on Agriculture in Ethiopia.