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In print
The shackled continent
by Robert Guest
Published by Macmillan
Website: www.panmacmillan.com
2004, 280pp, ISBN 1 4050 3388 6(HB) £20
Africa is "the shackled continent", shackled by its past
history and present politics and attitudes. The author, Robert Guest,
is Africa Editor at the Economist, and his declared aim is stated early:
"Africa is in a bad way and this book is my attempt to explain why.
I think it's an important question, and that one needs to be answered
if the continent is ever to recover." For anyone in doubt about
just how bad a situation Africa is in, he points out that it is "the
poorest continent, and the only one that, despite all the technological
advances that are filling stomachs and pockets everywhere else, has actually
got poorer over the last 30 years." And, "The median African
country has a GDP of $2 billion, roughly the output of a small town in
Europe."
Such facts and figures are hardly new to readers of New Agriculturist,
but the book brings together a range of economic detail, political incident,
and social analysis to provide not just a lucid account of the sad and
deplorable state of affairs in much of Africa south of the Sahara, but
also a focus on how Africa might be transformed to reflect the mineral
and agricultural riches that it contains; in effect how 'the shackles'
could be struck off. So, while only a small part of the book is about
agriculture per se, it makes evident that developing most of the sub-Saharan
countries will be achieved only by first developing their agriculture,
and industries for processing its products.
"Africa has terrific agricultural potential: fertile land, sun when
the Northern Hemisphere is frosty, and cheap labour. The continent also
has a comparative advantage in textiles," writes the author. "By
exporting crops and shirts to rich countries, Africa could start on the
path to growth." But there's the problem, since food, fibre
and textiles are precisely the things that rich countries most vigorously
shut from their markets. The extent of the trade barriers, and the subsidies
paid to American, European and Japanese farmers, are given in memorable
terms: for example, the total value of agricultural subsidies in developed
countries is more than the GDP of all sub-Saharan Africa. Examples of
how agriculture in Africa can flourish when trade barriers are removed
are revealing and encouraging.
But Africa's own politicians also carry a very large measure of
blame for the persistence of shackles on the continent's progress.
Examples of exploitation, expropriation and political expediency are all
instanced as brakes on endeavour and progress in the rural sector. For
Africa to thrive, it needs saner politics. Robert Guest concludes that
many simple ideas, rigorously applied, can yield dramatic results. "Africa's
problems are huge, but if tackled rationally not insoluble," he
writes. He bases his optimism on the many personal experiences and observations
that he has from five years of reporting in the continent, and he provides
references and detailed notes on each chapter for any reader wanting to
substantiate facts or enquire further. For an agronomist active in Africa,
the political and economic context that this book provides is illuminating.
Organic
farming: Policies & prospects
By Stephan Dabbert, Anna Maria Häring and Raffaele Zanoli
Published by Zed Books
Email: zed@zedbooks.demon.co.uk
Website: www.zedbooks.co.uk
2004, 187pp, ISBN 1 84277 327 5(Pb), £14.95, US$22.50
The organic farming movement used to define itself as being "in opposition" to conventional farming, and to agriculture policy makers; now, these groups are increasingly cooperating. To help them, Dabbert and coauthors have written "a sound base for a fruitful dialogue between non-governmental organisations (such as the organic farming organisations) and governmental policy makers on the development of organic farming policy." The book is essentially Europe-focused, but the authors suggest that the conclusions and recommendations have a wider application.
A detailed description of organic farming in Europe today usefully leads into a discussion on its increasing relevance to policy objectives. This is set in context with a chapter describing the general policy environment and how this is likely to change in the future, and recommendations for future organic farming policy round off a well-written book. The authors are open about their support for organic farming, but questions remain over long-term ecological stability and social/economic sustainability. It is relatively early days for organic farming, and what is urgently needed is a vision, whether modest ("organic farming as a niche market") or ambitious ("20 per cent of farming to be organic in 2020"). Meanwhile, the authors observe the lack of sufficient research in the area of organic farming, and advocate the need for public funding to support this.
Building
on successes in African agriculture
