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Abstract
Economic power has been shifting globally from west to east for
decades now, largely by-passing the continent of Africa. However,
Africa has been drawn into globalisation effects – especially the
downsides of liberalised arrival of cheap farm produce from abroad
displacing home agricultural production. Following the world
financial crisis of 2007-08, former speculators in various ‘financial
packages’ and previously rising housing markets have now turned
their gambling eyes to bet upon the burgeoning world population
and its rising demand for food. They are thus seeking to control the
means of production of food – looking for spare land to buy or lease
cheaply, and trading in agricultural produce speculatively. Africa
beckons them as having apparently more ‘spare land’ than elsewhere.
This Paper acknowledges the value of genuine investors in African
land for human benefit, but warns of the need to pursue agricultural
development in Africa on the basis of ‘economy for enough’ among its
indigenous farming communities, not unchecked global greed. Rather
than industrialised hi-technology, large-scale approaches, it argues
the case for sustainable intensification with Africa’s own resources
properly managed by Africa’s own host of small farmers using
ecologically and geo-politically sound land-to-mouth technologies.