Michael Kugelman

Michael Kugelman is the Senior Program Associate for South and Southeast Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. His work largely focuses on water, energy, food, land, and national security issues, particularly in, but not limited to, South Asia. His recent publications included the coedited volumes Empty Bellies, Broken Dreams: Food Insecurity and the Future of Pakistan (Vanguard Press, 2011) and Land Grab? The Race for the World’s Farmland (Wilson Center, 2009).

The Global Farms Race

Land Grabs, Agricultural Investment, and the Scramble for Food Security

As we struggle to feed a global population speeding toward 9 billion, we have entered a new phase of the food crisis. Wealthy countries that import much of their food, along with private investors, are racing to buy or lease huge swaths of farmland abroad.