Fatshimetrie: Analysis of the agricultural situation in Africa and Bill Gates’ proposals
Africa is experiencing particularly rapid demographic growth, with a population that could exceed 2.4 billion inhabitants by 2050. This growth poses a major challenge to African leaders: how to feed an expanding population when many Africans already have difficulty obtaining adequate meals on a daily basis?
Currently, of the 1.5 billion people living in Africa, approximately 10% face severe food insecurity, sometimes not knowing where their next meal will come from. Faced with this reality, concrete solutions must be found to guarantee the food security of African populations.
It is in this context that the Forum on African Food Systems will be held next week in Kigali, in partnership with the African Union. The objective is to debate and promote a ten-year plan aimed at accelerating and transforming agriculture in Africa.
The challenge is clear: to feed people, we need to improve farms, especially the continent’s 33 million small farms that produce 70% of Africa’s food, but with some of the lowest yields in the world.
At the heart of this debate, one influential figure stands out: Bill Gates. An American computer engineer and the seventh richest person in the world, Gates is convinced that modern industrial farming practices can solve the problem of world hunger. Owner of vast tracts of land in the United States, he focuses on large-scale farms, the cultivation of cash crops such as corn and soybeans from hybrid seeds and the use of chemical inputs.
For Gates, the key to combating hunger in Africa lies in adopting these modern farming practices. According to him, African farmers must increase their food production by adopting methods similar to those of American farmers. This involves larger farms, the use of quality hybrid seeds, access to necessary financing, the use of chemical fertilizers to improve soil fertility, protection of crops from pests and diseases, and the marketing of harvests.
However, this approach is not without controversy. While Gates advocates a revolution in African agriculture, some question the effectiveness of his methods and point to the environmental and social risks they entail. Indeed, the Zambian experience, which followed the recommendations of the Gates Foundation, highlights the harmful consequences of the excessive industrialization of agriculture.
Faced with these complex challenges, it is crucial to find a balance between agricultural modernization and the preservation of sustainable traditional practices. An inclusive approach adapted to local realities seems to be the key to ensuring food security in Africa without compromising the health of populations and ecosystems.