By Mustapha Sesay
A report launched in Freetown by the advocacy organisation, Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) reveals that about 500,000 hectares of farmland, estimated at 21.5% of the country’s arable land is current under lease agreement with foreign agribusiness investors through a process campaigners say amounts to “land-grabbing”.
The report states that although “large-scale land investment promises opportunities for employment as well as knowledge and skills transfer, large scale acquisition of farm land threatens food security and the human right to land.” It notes also that most of the investments are mainly for agro-fuels the consumption of which Sierra Leone at present has no capacity for.
According to the report, "there is a government regulatory framework on agricultural investment, but it is weak and ineffectively monitored, thereby resulting in low-level of compliance."
It also raises the issue of pollution " resulting from the intensive use of agrochemicals which has led to the contamination of local water reserves and damage resulting to local biodiversity.” It accuses the environmental protection agency (EPA) of having “little control over investors with regard deforestation and deaths of animals as a result of contaminated water through pesticide and chemical used by some corporations like ADDAX.”
Speaking at a three-day conference, the Executive Director of NMJD, Abu Brima said that it was organised by the Natural Resource Governance and Economic Justice Network on Natural Resource Governance in Sierra Leone and was geared towards contributing to the constitutional review process by way of stating what should be in the new constitution regarding natural resources. He said natural recourses were key to the development of the country and the people and therefore they were suggesting ideas of how they should be utilised.
Brima commended UNDP, FAO, Christian Aid, Gtz and Ibis for their financial contribution towards the conference.
(C) Politico 30/10/13
