Why Africa still can't feed itself (8 photos)

Just by rough estimates, 280 million people are regularly undernourished there.





Africa has a population of 1.4 billion people, 20% of whom are starving. Why is this still happening?

There are several reasons: the main ones are the climate and problems with agriculture



Climate

At first glance, the conditions in Africa are such that everything should grow like yeast. Throw seeds in the ground - and just have time to harvest. But in fact, you can't grow many food crops in such a climate. In addition, the north of the country also suffers from desertification, infertile soil and severe water shortages.

How much can be done in such a situation?





Agriculture

The population of Africa is not just increasing, it is growing in leaps and bounds. Usually there are 10-12 children in a family and everyone needs to eat.



And agriculture there has not changed much since colonial times. Therefore, farmers often grow some crops not for domestic consumption, but for sale. A good example is Cote d'Ivoire, where everything is focused on cocoa. When the prices are good on world markets, the country lives relatively well. But when the price drops, part of the population starts to starve. And so on in a circle.



If we take Africa as a whole, there has never been a layer of large farmers and landowners. And the entire sector is supported by small farmers who do not have tractors, seeders, irrigation systems and other joys of modern farmers. People dig the land with hoes and try to grow at least something on it. There are also practically no normal roads to take the products to the market.

European wheat varieties grow there disgustingly, they simply lack moisture. The locals have somehow adapted to growing grain sorghum, but it is not as nutritious as wheat, and cannot feed the constantly growing population of the continent.



And people are fleeing en masse from the villages. First to the cities, and if they are lucky - to Europe. Well, in rural areas there is an eternal shortage of personnel.

Also in Africa, conflicts periodically flare up. Both between countries and within them. And the peasants have to flee these wars, abandoning the cultivated lands. If they return, then to ashes.



So Africa is directly dependent on grain supplies from abroad.

In general, the situation there is not too optimistic. Although the continent has fantastic natural resources. Simply incredible. For example: 8% of the world's natural gas reserves, 12% of the world's oil reserves, 40% of the world's gold and up to 90% of chromium and platinum. The largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum and uranium. And a lot more. But either it is not really developed, or the production is controlled by Western corporations.



That's why almost a quarter of Africans still suffer from hunger.