Africa is a continent that as a whole is rich and copious with minerals and a multitude of other natural resources. Unfortunately, there are numerous regions where the indigenous people are seeing their farm lands spoiled by numerous trans-national corporations. The people are led to believe that the agribusiness taking place on their lands will yield them an abundance of crops along with greater farming and agricultural capabilities. Mean while, these regions’ political/government leaders and various militia forces are lining their pockets with money from these corporations as the richness of the people's lands are depleted, spoiled and rendered inadequate and incapable of producing anything.
With that being said, I will acknowledge that there are a number of not for profit groups and organizations scattered sporadically across the more devastated areas in Africa where famine and food deprivation are rampant. These groups work diligently alongside the indigenous people in an effort to guide and assist them in rediscovering how to regenerate the viability of their land and soil so that they may promote, cultivate, nurture, and produce sustainable crop levels. Not surprisingly though, you have many corporations throughout these devastated regions that are there under the guise of teaching the indigenous people how to cultivate and achieve healthy harvests from their lands.
For more than 10,000 years, Africa has yielded limited arable soil, (land that can be used for growing crops), the indigenous people learned and adapted to living in tune with nature, as a great majority are taught this virtually from the womb; and never taking from the land more than needed to survive. Entire corporations and multinationals aren’t needed to move in and set up industry, utilizing critically needed land and resources to simply demonstrate and explain ‘how’ to achieve agricultural success. In fact, their presence in many regions is doing more damage to the land than they are good and producing little to no results except to devastate the already fragile soils. This makes one wonder what the true motivations are for big business to be so visibly present in Africa as they openly exploit the lands, resources and desperation of the people who in the end, gain nothing economically from these ventures and are usually left with the residuals of reaped and exhausted territories.
We’re all familiar with the most controversial motive driven by the planets most precious gem, diamonds. In addition to diamonds, Africa is also rich with coal, gold, uranium, steal, platinum, copper, alongside a wealth of other strategic minerals. Over the past several years, China has been a one country wrecking machine, wreaking havoc in search of black gold, yes, oil and petroleum; to meet its country’s growing demand for fuel. However, for centuries, western countries make up the bulk of those who are pillaging Africa’s lands in the pursuit of whatever resources, natural or otherwise, that they can get their hands on to turn a profit.
Here’s an excerpt from an article written by Joe DeCapua on the African Executive website: Corporate Council on Africa, CEO Stephan Hayes, describes Africa as a "booming business opportunity." He says the upcoming summit will allow US companies to see the continent as an "essential asset across many business sectors."
Family, to that I ask, when has there not been a time when the West hasn’t pillaged the richness, abundance, and prosperity of others; especially the Original Lands?
Peace, Love, And, TRUTH Always, Khadijah
Here are a few of the dozens of websites that I visited while exploring this issue.
1A) http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/465
1E) http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/465
2) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/african-bioresources-exploited-by-west-466824.html
3) http://www.africa-agribiz-ppp.com/news/article.asp?article_id=388
4) http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=2842
5) http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/current_and_potential_arable_land_use_in_africa
