World Bank contemplates doubling lending for agriculture in Africa
World Bank contemplates doubling lending for agriculture in AfricaBy Joan Chirwa
Monday April 28, 2008 [04:00]
WORLD Bank president Robert Zoellick has announced plans to double lending for agriculture in Africa over the next year to increase food supply. In a statement, Zoellick stated that it was important for the international community to closely coordinate in ensuring that developing countries had adequate food supplies by increasing support to agriculture development.
“We need to minimise overlap and attack the issue from a variety of different fronts to ensure support reaches where it is needed most, and that longer-term supply issues can be fully addressed,” stated Zoellick in his comments over the worldwide surging food prices.
Zoellick stated that the soaring food prices and their impact on hunger, malnutrition and development were threatening to push 100 million people further into poverty.
“For more than 2 billion people, high food prices are now a matter of daily struggle, sacrifice, and, for some, even survival, with no apparent relief in sight. Malnutrition threatens to harm not only this generation but the generation to come.
This is a test for the international community that we cannot afford to fail,” Zoellick stated. “We must make globalisation work for all. Nowhere are we seeing this more clearly than in the issue of food where millions are not at risk.
Donors must act now to support the World Food Programme’s call for emergency funds to fill what is an urgent financing gap. Without this money, millions will go hungry. For them, the international system will have failed.”
Labels: AGRICULTURE, World Bank, ZOELLICK
posted by MrK @ 3:29 AM
1 Comments:
I suggest the government do the following:
1) Get much more of Zambia's land under irrigation
Zambia has many seasonal rivers that can be dammed, so water remains available for longer periods of the year, if not year around.
2) Create other infrastructure
Create roads so even remote parts of the country can produce food and products and get their goods to market.
3) Stimulate farmers to step up their operations
Provide rural people with loans for land, machinery, education.
I would still like to see a model, where tens of thousands of farmers own 100 hectares and have access to machinery either directly or by renting/hiring.
The rural areas can be a source for ongoing wealth creation, which would create markets and prevent urbanisation.
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