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This open seminar will facilitate an open discussion on the feasibility of the international Principles for Responsiblle Agricultural Investments (RAI) based on case study research on land investments in Ethiopia , conducted by Kassa T. Alemu and the recently launched Swedish FAO Committee discussion paper “Responsible agricultural investment – how to make principles and guidelines effective”, authored by Kjell Havnevik. The topic is highly relevant as the final negotiations of the RAI principles takes place in the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in May. 

Two presentations will be held prior to an open discussion moderated by Maria Ölund, Project Coordinator of LARRI.

“Hurting or Helping?” – Research on land investments in Ethiopia 
Kassa T. Alemu is a PhD Candidate in Development Studies at UNISA/University of South Africa and a Lecturer in Development Management at the Ethiopian Civil Service University. He is currently a guest researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in Sweden and is completing his PhD work “Hurting or Helping? International Land Deals and Agricultural Investment in Ethiopia.” In his presentation Alemu will provide an update on large-scale agricultural investment in Ethiopia. He will present findings from his research based on four cases of foreign investors and discuss how responsible these investments really are, how land deals are negotiated and implemented locally, and what type of impacts these investments have for local livelihoods and the environment. 

“Effective RAI principles?” Authors own eflections 
Kjell Havnevik is a senior researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute. He has a long experience from research, education, studies and evaluations related to aid, rural development and natural resource management. Havnevik is the author of the Swedish FAO Committee discussion paper “Responsible agricultural investment – how to make principles and guidelines effective”, launched at a seminar on the 25th of March. In the report three cases of large scale land investments, where investors or the co-investor are of Swedish origin are highlighted. (Addax Bioenergy biofuel investment in Sierra Leone, the Second Swedish National Pension Fund’s (AP2) investments in large-scale Brazilian land/agriculture and the diocese of Västerås involvement in forest plantations in Niassa in Mozambique.) Based on the conclusions in the report Havnevik suggest more concrete guidelines on how to implement the RAI principles - for them to make a real difference to people on the ground.

Download the seminar invitation here