BBC Learning English
Words in the news
21st November 2008
Daewoo leases land in Madagascar
Words in the news
? British Broadcasting Corporation 2008
Page 1 of 2
https://www.sodocs.net/doc/6d7363831.html,
The giant South Korean conglomerate, Daewoo, has leased a vast tract of land in Madagascar to help secure the country's access to food supplies. Daewoo Logistics has leased an area half the size of Belgium on which it will grow food crops. Martin Plaut reports:
Daewoo says it will grow corn and palm oil on huge tracts of Madagascan farmland that the company has leased for 99 years. This ambitious scheme will cover 1.2 million hectares and is part of South Korea's plans to ensure its access to food supplies in the coming years.
The scheme is designed to provide more than half the country's imports of corn when it's fully operational in fifteen years' time.
A number of Asian countries have been attempting to ensure their access to food supplies since unrest over food broke out earlier this year. And some African countries have been keen to receive overseas investment. Angola has offered farmland for development and Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, said he is eager to see foreign companies take a stake in his country's agriculture.
Martin Plaut, BBC
Vocabulary and definitions
huge tracts a large area of land
leased made a legal agreement by which money is paid to use
something (here, land) for an agreed period
ambitious big/grand and difficult to achieve
its access to food supplies it has enough food
designed created with a certain aim
fully operational working to its full capacity, delivering all it can
unrest here, showing discontent
broke out started (normally used to talk about something unpleasant
or even dangerous)
is eager to see wants (something to happen) badly
take a stake get financially involved, put their money
More on this story: https://www.sodocs.net/doc/6d7363831.html,/2/hi/business/7737643.stm
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
https://www.sodocs.net/doc/6d7363831.html,/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/11/081121_skorea_madagascar.shtml Words in the news ? British Broadcasting Corporation 2008
Page 2 of 2
https://www.sodocs.net/doc/6d7363831.html,