For Agricultural Investors, an Abundance of Risks
As wealthy Gulf states look to meet their food needs by investing in agriculture projects abroad, Cambodia-with its underutilized land and attractive foreign investment policies-makes a nearly perfect investment destination. But endemic corruption, land conflicts, a badly implemented economic land concession program, and an unreliable judiciary could ultimately conspire to make it too risky for investors, according to a lengthy case study published this week by the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) based at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. … To date, Gulf states-Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia-have made limited investment in Cambodia. Still, Kith Seng, undersecretary of state at the Agriculture Ministry,said there have been recent meetings with delegations from Qatar, though no deals have been inked. …
