Case studies of projects in 7 countries suggest that widespread concern about large-scale farming being associated with potentially large risks is justified. Key risks include (i) weak land governance and an associated failure to recognize, protect, or -if voluntary transfer can be agreed upon- properly compensate local communities’ land rights (Alden-Wily 2010); (ii) lack of capacity to process and manage large scale investments, including inclusive and participatory consultations that result in clear and enforceable agreements; (iii) investor proposals that were non-viable technically, or inconsistent with local visions and national plans for development, in some cases leading investors to encroach on.
