Deal #4947

through three intermediaries (Elena Bosca, Bardeau Holding and Kamparo Investment), the company purchased 17000 ha in Dobromir, 140 ha in Zarand and "tens of thousands more" in 50 other Romanian villages (https://decorrespondent.nl/3772/Farmers-in-what-may-be-the-poorest-village-in-Romania-pressured-into-selling-their-land-to-Rabobank/831126666920-19635dd6 ; https://decorrespondent.nl/3585/Think-land-grabbing-is-a-thing-of-the-past-Think-again/789922879350-90f224d3 )

According to the media reports, the company first bought the land and then leased it to "skilled tenants" and for now doesn't cultivate the land

several agreements over land that was ourchased from three intermediaries since 2005: between 2005 and 2014, Rabobank's subsidiary Kamparo Investment bought land from villagers - land, which according to its owners was never sold. Moreover, Kamparo bought land from a company called Retail Development (owned by two Liberian companies: Vane Investment Corporation and Tegor Holdings). Since 2011 Rabobank also bought land from Bardeau Holding (see #4556) and a physical person (see comment above) who had bought it from subsistence farmers - allegedly in an unlawful way.

No purchase price found yet, but the fund state claims that they expect an 8% annual growth in the value of their land. After 10-15 years, the fund plans to sell at up to three times the price they bought for.

According to the journalist investigation, the company itself has no cultivated land but transfers its purchased land to tenats. However, as the media claims, that Rabo Farm’s "129 leaseholders include politicians, individuals on suspended sentences for crimes including modern-day slavery, theft, and bribery, or local oligarchs with strong connections to corrupt officials."