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Human Systems and Behavior

The FDI Plantation: How Foreign Investment Became the New Colonialism – and How to Escape It

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is often celebrated as a shortcut to development. But for many developing countries, the reality resembles an old colonial plantation: foreign‑owned enclaves extract cheap labor, land, and tax breaks, while profits flow back to wealthy home countries. Local economies receive low‑wage jobs but little industrial deepening.