<DIV>In recent years, large-scale land acquisitions in Africa have stoked controversy, making headlines across the world. <br/><br/>Dubbed 'land grabs' in the media, large-scale land acquisitions have become one of the most talked about and contentious topics amongst those studying, working in or writing about Africa. Some commentators have welcomed this corporate and government action in response to security and food shortage fears, others have countered by pointing to its negative impacts.<br/><br/>Lorenzo Cotula, one of the leading experts in the field, casts a critical eye over the most reliable available evidence on this hotly contested topic, examining the implications of land deals in Africa both for its people, and for world agriculture and food security in a shrinking planet.</p></div>