Abstract Many experts agree that more agricultural investment is needed in the global South to improve local food security and reduce poverty. However, there is a lack of consensus about the types of investment needed to achieve these goals. This paper contributes to the literature on large agricultural investments and corresponding business models by inventorying and analysing such investments in Kenya’s Nanyuki area. We identify four clusters of business models that differ primarily by type of production and other distinct determinants, namely: demand from markets; access to land; land tenure regime and colonial history; actors involved; biophysical context; labour availability; and governance of the value chain via private standards. The study results shed light on the factors that help or hinder implementation of large agricultural investments and shape their impacts in the context of African land use systems. The way land is accessed represents one of the most-decisive factors determining the risks and opportunities associated with such projects. We find that most investments in the Nanyuki area occur on land bought or leased from private owners.

中文翻译：

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肯尼亚纳纽基地区的大型农业投资：盘点和商业模式分析

摘要 许多专家一致认为，全球南方需要更多的农业投资，以改善当地的粮食安全并减少贫困。然而，对于实现这些目标所需的投资类型缺乏共识。本文通过对肯尼亚 Nanyuki 地区的此类投资进行盘点和分析，为有关大型农业投资和相应商业模式的文献做出贡献。我们确定了四个主要因生产类型和其他不同决定因素而不同的商业模式集群，即：来自市场的需求；获得土地；土地保有权制度和殖民历史；参与的行动者；生物物理环境；劳动力可用性；通过私有标准管理价值链。研究结果阐明了有助于或阻碍实施大型农业投资的因素，并在非洲土地使用系统的背景下塑造其影响。获取土地的方式是决定与此类项目相关的风险和机遇的最具决定性的因素之一。我们发现 Nanyuki 地区的大多数投资发生在从私人所有者购买或租赁的土地上。