US Universities in Africa 'land grab' | The Guardian

I think I’ve posted about this before, but this article deserves a repost. The following excerpt speaks for itself: 

Harvard and other major American universities are working through British hedge funds and European financial speculators to buy or lease vast areas of African farmland in deals, some of which may force many thousands of people off their land, according to a new study.

Researchers say foreign investors are profiting from “land grabs” that often fail to deliver the promised benefits of jobs and economic development, and can lead to environmental and social problems in the poorest countries in the world.

The new report on land acquisitions in seven African countries suggests that Harvard, Vanderbilt and many other US colleges with large endowment funds have invested heavily in African land in the past few years. Much of the money is said to be channelled through London-based Emergent asset management, which runs one of Africa’s largest land acquisition funds, run by former JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs currency dealers.

That’s right, folks - certain wealthy American universities believe that it is within their best interest to profit from massive land grabs in Africa with little to no concern about the people that live and depend on that land. 

I challenge you to figure out where your universities are making their investments. The contents of your university’s stock portfolio should be public information if you’re at a public university. If you’re at a private university, this isn’t necessarily the case. I dare you to start asking as to why this information isn’t available to potential students, alumni, investors, policymakers and members of the community. 

Where does your endowment come from?