An agricultural economist at the University of Wageningen in The Netherlands has said that for a nation to attract investment in agriculture there must exist a basic matrix that ensures the investor makes a profit.
In an interview at the university office in The Hague, Dr Petra Berhout said without an incentive to invest organizations simply would keep their money and invest it in countries with the right atmosphere.
Food insecure countries, she said, found mostly in Africa and East Europe failed to attract investors because they lacked a viable production chain that includes the availability of basic materials, such as seed, fertilizers, labour and knowledge and the incentive to invest.
“There should always be a close relationship between research, fieldwork and solutions'” she said stressing the importance of agricultural extension services and education.
PEACE PALACE
