ABSTRACT
While land deals are on the rise on all continents, the majority in both its number and hectarage takes place in Africa (see, for example, Anseuw et al., Chapter 5.1 in this volume). Given the (neo)colonial resonance and local enclosure effects of the sometimes brutal business deals, it is unsurprising that the debate on foreign direct investment is particularly resonant where Africa is concerned, from academia to the popular press. The debate, however, is partial and dominated by the discussion of the pros and cons of its developmental merits, of the fate of local land users driven or enticed off the land, and of the economic and the environmental costs.
