I see investment in Africa as great but The Guardian trashes it.

[Ecofarm]

They respect IPRs or they get nothing. You don't have a clue, but thanks for trying.

Read:
"Stolen Harvest"
"Biopiracy"

[BlackCat]

You don't get it - if no patent, then they can't prevent farmers making seed after harvest from the GMO.

[Ecofarm]

You don't get it - patents are universal or country rots.

[BlackCat]

Well, then country rots

Patents isn't universal.

[BlackCat]

Honestly, this patent talk is a diversion.

Pouring lots of foreign money into "big farms", industry etc doesn't really help a bit in africa. All it will do is that some fat pigs burn down the country and leaves it poorer.

[Dinner]

Oerdin- do you really think you can produce US-equivalent levels of consumption across Africa? I don't.

Which means this talk of poverty is all relative. So how about improving the lot of the resident Africans by helping them support a growing population through pragmatic and sustainable local improvements that won't involve human rights abuses en route?

Sink some wells. Provide some agricultural training relevant to their local produce. Introduce them to other local farmers and point out the benefits of collectives, and the Fair Trade network. Give them some improved seed stock or a couple of good cows. Job done.

No, I don't think they can be brought up to American levels of development or consumption without decades of continious solid advancement. That said, I believe such continious solid advancement could happen with the right fundamentals just as it has happened in places like Japan, Chile, China, and South Korea. The hard part is getting the virtious cycle started. Yes, drilling some wells and giving them some improved agricultural techniques will improve their basic living standards but I'm aiming much higher with the kind of real long term development which only comes with real dedication to free market economic expansion.

The key is getting foreign investment and good governance so that the basic building blocks can be put into place. This thread deals with one half of that equation.

[Ecofarm]

You lost me at "China".

[notyoueither]

The key is getting foreign investment and good governance so that the basic building blocks can be put into place. This thread deals with one half of that equation.

It seems to me that the problem in most of Africa is that half of the equation dealing with good government.

I'm doubting much tax revenue will find its way into government coffers, while the people dispossessed will be worse off on the whole.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Absolutely. Anyone thinking these measures will improve the lot of the little guys in Africa is being incredibly naive.

[Dinner]

With one mega farm employing 10,000 people in Ethiopia I'd say that's a lot of jobs in a country with a very high unemployment rate. Surely some employment is better then none?

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Depends on how it's handled. The farm is there because the labour is dirt cheap, and the land is easy to come by with the right bribes.

Now if we had a real market, the locals not fancying the sweatshop wages could work elsewhere or set up competition. However a market's never going to establish in the face of government land seizures, is it?

Don't present this in capitalist terms. It's not capitalism for Africa.

[Dinner]

I agree that there should be political reforms to minimize corruption and outsiders should do all they can to help this along but there is a limit of what we can do unless we're prepared to invade and institute regime change. China is a very corrupt and autocratic country but never the less foreign investment has greatly improved the standard of living there so I would say foreign investment by itself can play a very important role simply because the money is addicting so countries modify their behavior in order to attract more of it.

[notyoueither]

China has a strong central authority that is capable of ensuring that development proceeds in ways beneficial to their society and citizens overall.

Reading the OP I didn't think of China. I thought of Central America and United Fruit.

[Dinner]

It probably is more like Central America but then again foreign investment has greatly improved Latin America too.

[notyoueither]

Not the kind that led to negligible tax revenue for local governments and made the situation of local citizens poorer.