In 2010, a subsidiary of the China National Complete Import and Export Corporation Group (COMPLANT), Hua Lien International, announced its intention to set up a US $5 billion venture with COMPLANT itself and the China-Africa Development Fund for ethanol production. The venture will be launched in Benin, based on COMPLANTs extensive recent investment in sugarcane and manioc, which includes a 4,800 ha sugarcane and manioc plantation. In 2004, the social movement Synergie Paysanne, or Synpa, found that land deals were being conducted secretly and without informing the people. In 2008, peasants protested that they were being chased off their lands. Synpa went to investigate in Djidja where they found that 45% of the land was already sold to investors. 10 000 Ha had been leased to Chinese investors to produce ethanol from manioc, for export to China. Other multinationals and elite businessmen from Benin have leased another 25 000 Ha. The government is creating a new land law that Synpa says is favourable to investors. Synpa is denouncing the governments actions, and calling for regional and global mobilization and a unified platform against land grabs.

Total land investments according to GRAIN amount to 236 100 h sold to foreign investors, which amounts to a total of 2% of land controlled by agri-food interests. 1.0 million, or 12% of Benins 8.4 million people are undernourished.