Picture source: Radio Australia online

Dr. Lati Lati, a Samoan academic lecturer in politics at the University of Otago, says there is a concerted effort in the Pacific to free up land for investment.

He elaborates that those efforts are encouraged by organizations like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

“ I think a lot of these organizations need to actually find out what the priorities of the ordinary people are, try to be a little bit I guess more responsive to ordinary people’s interests and pursuits as opposed to pushing their own agenda as opposed to supporting an agenda that is really only benefiting a small group in some of these countries.’’

 Dr. Lati says there needs to be more consultation with more landowners before governments lease land to foreign investors.