EAT AND SELL WHAT YOU PLANT

EAT AND SELL WHAT YOU PLANT is a slogan among Village Farmers during Pre-colonial era. Farming in Africa is known as the basic of humanity for survival and reproduction. In Post-colonial Period, people are more than the food production due to modern civilization.

SOLUTION AND METHOD:

The focus must move from what the developed world dictates to what Africa needs. This requires countries developing production systems and livelihood opportunities for its people.

Africa should not stop exporting. But exports should not jeopardise local food availability and regional development. Proceeds from export should support rural economic development and the livelihood of local people.

Countries in the region should improve institutions and infrastructure, such as certified storage facilities for grains and food processing. This would facilitate value addition such as the ability to sell crops as prices increase following harvest or sell milled rice rather than paddy.

Barriers to independent national decision making, such as conditionalities set down by the International Monetary Fund and the terms set by the World Trade Organisation for free trade agreements, need to be challenged.

This would open the way for countries to make agricultural policies in pursuit of domestic development goals. And local farmers could begin to respond to local demands.

In addition, research needs to be redirected. Donor funds are currently channelled into training and educating young people from the continent in developed world institutions where they gain significant knowledge and capacity. However, this is often irrelevant or impossible to apply on the continent.

The same applies to the development of agricultural technologies that aren't applicable to local conditions. #Africa