Many (most?) of the roses we get here come from Kenya as well.
Starvation isn't caused by food shortages, it's caused by uneven distribution of resources (including food). This is caused by many factors including bad transport infrastructure and a bad energy infrastructure as well as corruption and incompetence.
One of the major problems throughout sub-Saharan Africa is the lack of an electricity network. This results in an over reliance on diesel generators with the much higher energy costs that go with it. Therefore industrialisation on a micro level is difficult so perishable cash crops such as flowers and veg are grown in concentrated areas and have little impact on the land resources available to the poorest and most at risk of starvation.
When it comes to poverty proper governance is the solution and lack of it is the cause. Of course there are numerous historical and recent factors that exacerbate the situation but they aren't the root cause.
Absolutely correct. I lived in Ethopia for 2 years and one of the developing sources of external income was the floraculture and vegatale/fruit industries. This was developed with the assistance of European investment funds and provided a significant quantity of local employment. The output was not in any way regarded as an export of basic standard food as this industry provided funds to enable the local population to earn sufficient to keep themselves and their families fed and with a basic living standard.
It is possible that the land would be used for local food production but that food would not end up in the hands of those at risk of starvation as a) they can't pay for it and b) it costs too much to get it to them. The net impact on the economy would be negative as the export crops have a higher value per acre and are a source of foreign (hard) currency. The best thing we can do to help stop poverty in Africa (and elsewhere) is to trade with them, not give them charity. The cost of the trade barriers we impose dwarfs the aid we give.I appreciate all of that, but my question is if we all stopped buying produce from Kenya, then the owners of this land would probably produce other crops that they could sell locally to those who are hungy..
It is possible that the land would be used for local food production but that food would not end up in the hands of those at risk of starvation as a) they can't pay for it and b) it costs too much to get it to them. The net impact on the economy would be negative as the export crops have a higher value per acre and are a source of foreign (hard) currency. The best thing we can do to help stop poverty in Africa (and elsewhere) is to trade with them, not give them charity. The cost of the trade barriers we impose dwarfs the aid we give.
They need the cash from exports to pay for the infrastructure.If they exported iPads or something I would be fine that, but it just seems wrong that we are consuming the very thing that could save others from the same/neighbouring countries from starving. If their export market completely dried up then their infrastructure would start to improve eventually so the food suppliers could deliver their goods. In any case, I doubt excellent infrastructure is required...I saw a documentary recently enough about Coke and you can basically buy a can of Coke almost anywhere in the world.
I agree with this. However, the biggest question is this, how much starvation is going on in Kenya? While I don't know the answer, going by media reports the biggest starvation issues of late have been in Somalia and Ethiopia. These may seem close to Kenya, but the cost of moving large amounts of goods into essentially a war zone is huge. So even if we didn't buy those green beans, Somalis and Ethiopians could quite likely still not afford them or other produce.It is possible that the land would be used for local food production but that food would not end up in the hands of those at risk of starvation as a) they can't pay for it and b) it costs too much to get it to them. The net impact on the economy would be negative as the export crops have a higher value per acre and are a source of foreign (hard) currency. The best thing we can do to help stop poverty in Africa (and elsewhere) is to trade with them, not give them charity. The cost of the trade barriers we impose dwarfs the aid we give.
If their exports dried up then they would have no income to improve infrastructure. While infrastructure may be adequate it may not be adequate enough for mass transport of food for millions. I met a very interesting guy at Dublin airport yesterday, while waiting for the shuttle bus from the car park to the terminal. An African guy who worked for the World Food Program (I think) and he said that most of their efforts in the last 10 years has been on improving the road network in Africa. He said that in crisis situations they used to fly food in, which carried huge costs and ended up being a drop in the ocean. With an improved road network and lots of trucks on standby they are able to move a lot more food around much cheaper and quicker.If their export market completely dried up then their infrastructure would start to improve eventually so the food suppliers could deliver their goods. In any case, I doubt excellent infrastructure is required...I saw a documentary recently enough about Coke and you can basically buy a can of Coke almost anywhere in the world.
I've often encountered people that say that we should not buy from this country or that because they don't pay the people enough or don't treat them well, or something down that line. Generally I respond with, how is giving those people no money better than giving them little money?
The more we buy from Africa the beter off they will be.
Hi Firefly
While I understand where you are coming from, I don't agree with your logic. The fact that people in Ethiopia and Somalia are suffering is hardly the fault of Kenyan farmers who are themselves trying to survive and make a life for themselves. The depiction of Africa is a monlithic 'dark continent' only feeds prejudice and glosses over the reality. If we baulk at buying goods from Africa simply on the basis that people are starving in some parts of the continent we will merely be adding to this serious problem. How would we feel if Irish produce was shunned in the US because of war or civil disorder in another part of Europe?
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