Abstract:
The statistical data show that the agricultural and rural areas are less
attractive for the foreign investors, even in the developed economies. The
dilemma is that the national and international strategies for rural
development should include actions in order to respect the foreign investors
and transnational corporations’ decisions, but in the same time they should
solve the rural development social problems. The national and international
policy with full regard for the right of each country to determine its own
national policies and priorities is required to maximize the contribution of
foreign investments to the goals of rural development and to ensure that the
activities of foreign investors developing countries, in particular, by
transnational agro-industry corporations, are not inconsistent with and do
not impede the accomplishment of overall economic and social development
objectives. This paper presents three priorities. First of all, it should be
accelerated the development of national expertise in order to evaluate
proposals for foreign investment in agriculture and other activities affecting
rural development and work jointly with potential investors in formulating
investment programs and projects that are compatible with national needs,
priorities and objectives. Second, it should be oriented the current United
Nations efforts related to transnational corporations toward the formulation
of a set of criteria, adjusted where necessary for the special circumstances of
each country. Third, Romania should eliminate the major obstacles, as
regards land tenure and policy. The aim consists on assessing the operations
of foreign investors with a view to increase their favorable impact on rural
development
