A 99-year lease agreement between the government of Madagascar and Daewoo Corp. to grow crops on the African island for consumption in South Korea has fallen through amid claims of "neo-colonialism".
Img: Wheat field. Credit: bosela/morguefile
The massive deal covering 1.3 million hectares of land on Madagascar -- almost half of all arable land on the island -- has outraged the native Malagasy people who say the signing of the deal would make the country a "South Korean colony," according to a report by the Daily Telegraph.
The land deal, which was on the verge of being signed with car manufacturer Daewoo, would have seen maize and oil grown by the company for sale in its home country or on international markets to raise funds for other crops for which the Asian country lacks space to grow.
"We are in big trouble with the Government of Madagascar," said Shin Dong-hyun, general manager of planning and finance at Daewoo Logistics Corporation. He accused the international media of drumming up support against the signing of the lease agreement.
"The process was ongoing, but it has suddenly been stopped because of media reports," he said. "Those reports have made Madagascan people very angry because it makes them ashamed for being a part of what they say is a neo-colonial system."
African environmentalists have opposed the move, saying it is unjustifiable that poorer nations should lose valuable space for agriculture at a time of food shortage to the benefit of richer countries. Some have likened the lease agreements to "neo-colonialism".
Other African nations that have offered part of their arable land in a lease agreement include the likes of Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia.
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