An ever-rising population and unpredictable weather patterns are pushing the issue of food scarcity higher up the global agenda, with companies anxious to commercialise the rising demand for food and governments looking at ways to tackle the problems that are limiting production.

At the World Economic Forum meeting on Africa in Cape Town in May, fDi spoke to leading officials from three African countries that are implementing strategies to improve their records for attracting foreign investment.

Free zones are often seen as a cure-all remedy to the problems developing economies encounter when trying to attract FDI. However, the reality is that such projects need careful planning and long-term support if they are to fulfil such wishes, as Barbara Njau discovers.

HJ Heinz is a household brand in the West, but now the food manufacturer is looking to conquer emerging markets such as Brazil and China. 

CEO of food manufacturer HJ Heinz, William R Johnson, believes that emerging markets represent the future of the packaged foods industry.

Antigua and Barbuda's farmers produce a wide variety of fruits in abundance, the vast majority of which is consumed locally. Steps have been taken to export these products, but the industry is very much in its early stages, meaning opportunities aplenty for investors.

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker explains how his election publicity is helping him draw the attention of businesses to his state and how he plans to take advantage of Wisconsin's strong agriculture sector by increasing productivity through biotech projects.

With vast expanses of fertile land, a large labour force and a close proximity to raw materials, Ukraine's argiculture sector has enormous promise, and with global food shortages and price spikes, the time appears ripe for it to realise this potential. But first it must attract investors, and to do that it must reform its land policies.