Confrontation between peasant producers and investors in northern Zambézia, Mozambique, in the context of profit pressures on European investors

Foreign agricultural investors are clashing with local peasants in Mozambique, in a  confrontation over agricultural and development models. Foreign investors looking a apparently vacant land promise high (often inflated) profits to investors and local partners. Some hope to capitalise on carbon credits or produce biofuels, and claim to be green investments. All promise jobs, schools, and local development. Local backers support the outside investors and their plantations with terms like "progress" and "modernisation". The alternative is upgrading existing land holders to become small scale commercial farmers, potentially creating more jobs and moving faster to reduce poverty. Northern Zambézia province has seen two different choices. One large company withdrew rather than fight local peasants and take over land being used to grow food. But two other investors chose to push ahead, and have come into conflict with local peasant communities.