International investments in agriculture have the potential to offer a broad range of social, economic, and environmental impacts. As a development tool, they can create jobs; provide rural infrastructure; connect smallholders to global markets; introduce new productivity-enhancing technologies; and improve access to finance for farmers. Close partnerships between international investors and national governments are key, however, to ensure that new outside funds sources do not distort local markets or leave local producers and smallholders at a disadvantage.
