(Ecofin Agency) - Africa’s five most attractive countries for foreign investors are Ethiopia, Ghana, South Sudan, Morocco and DR Congo, Land Matrix said in a report it recently released.

Entitled “Land Matrix Analytical Report II: International Land Deals for Agriculture,” the report which was published on October 11 and studies the 2000-2016 period states that Africa is the continent most impacted by land deals.

With 40 agreements for a million hectares of its lands, Ethiopia comes first in Africa and 7th worldwide. It is followed by Ghana with about 800,000 ha, South Sudan and Morocco with about 750,000 ha each. DR Congo comes last with close to 750,000 ha of agricultural lands subject to investment deals.

Indonesia, with more than 3 million hectares of arable lands sold, leads the global ranking.

The report which provides a global view land (agricultural) deals in Africa and worldwide confirms concerns of observers of Africa being the new Eldorado of agro-industrial multinationals. Indeed, 11 out of 20 countries that sell their lands the most are African.

As authors of the report said, the deals are troublesome given that most of them take place in the form of land grabs from locals who mostly hold only customary rights.

Launched by five international organizations including the Centre of Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD) and German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Land Matrix monitors periodically land-related transactions worldwide.

Souha Touré