Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Agriculture's Last Frontier

Roger Thurow writes in the WSJ about the promise and growing interest in African Agriculture:
If agriculture has a final frontier, it is Africa. After agriculture transformations in Asia and Latin America since the 1960s, Africa remains the one place where the farming potential has barely been scratched. African agriculture has less irrigation, less fertilizer use, less soil and seed research, less mechanization, less rural financing, fewer paved farm-to-market roads than any other farming region in the world. Conflict in many parts of the continent has chased farmers out of their fields, and neglect by both local governments and international development experts have let Africa's agriculture infrastructure fall into dire disrepair.

2 comments:

lvives said...

I found the story to be pro-big business, relying on the views of DuPont and Deere, a Deere salesman and a Deere tractor customer exclusively. When the author writes: "African farmers and U.S. companies are trying to recreate the same boom that turned America into the world's breadbasket" - are they also skipping down the lane together holding hands?

naijaleta said...

Would have loved to make a meaningful contribution but since I haven't read the book being reviewed I cant. Where can I grab a copy please?