Cargill may have broken law over Colombia land buying -Oxfam

[Judi Lynn]

3. More telling information from the article immediately above:

~snip~
The deals took place in Colombia's scantly populated high plains, considered one of the world's last untapped agricultural frontiers.

The acquisitions by Cargill and others mostly took place from 2010-2012, and cumulatively involve the acquisition of around 300 square miles of land.

The transactions have become a flashpoint for debate because the parcels were originally federal land that was awarded to small farmers through a program aimed at land reform and poverty reduction.

The small farmers have a right to sell, but in most cases, Colombian law limits how much a single buyer could acquire to prevent concentration of property in the hands of a wealthy few, according to legal experts.

The Oxfam report said Cargill created 36 companies to purchase 39 properties, allegedly evading such limits.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304795804579101283708868494.html