Alright then lads and lasses it's been 4 weeks since I've posted anything on the blog. Four long weeks where I'm sure you checked the blog everyday with eager anticipation on what would happen now that both me and Vix have left.
So then, What has caused the (arguably) inevitable famine that's about to sweep through east Africa?
It has routes in colonialism as matters in Africa always do but overwhelmingly it's to do with the misuse of crops and the changing climate. The crops used currently by nations in Africa aren't sustainable and are based on 'western' cash crops that are used to feed the western world. This means that many of the crops don't grow to their full potential as they're not suited to the conditions this has resulted in a call for traditional crops and animals to once again be used. There was an excellent article in last months National Geographic that highlights the problems that reduced crop diversity can cause and what can be done to rectify the situation http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/siebert-text. Agricultural development is also to blame for the impending famine, or a lack of it. Current technology is too expensive to be used in LDCs and the agricultural techniques themselves are also outdated. Practices such as monocultures which are used sparingly in MDCs are common practice in LDCs and are leading to reduced yields.
The changing climate happens on such a small, seemingly unnoticeable scale to anyone but scientists that the media almost never contributes it to global climate change yet it's having dire consequences on populations around the world. Current droughts in the east of Africa are being caused by a warming of the Indian Ocean due to global climate change. The impact of global climate change on rainfall patterns is clear if a quick google search is undertaken. East England, France, Russia, Australia, India, East Africa etc. have all experienced recent droughts. This when coupled with dramatically increasing populations in India and East Africa is leading to more and more famines.
What a cheery way to get back into the blog...
