African farmers fear impact of U.K. supermarkets buying local
Last month, British supermarket giant Tesco announced a few changes it's making with the climate in mind, including limiting flown-in food. Which is all well and good, unless you're a farmer in Africa wondering what the hell is going on. Some fear that moves in the industrial world meant to reduce the carbon footprint -- and eco-guilt -- of rich shoppers will endanger the livelihood of farmers in developing countries. In Kenya, for instance, 65 percent of exports to the European Union are fresh fruits, veggies, and flowers, and some farmers have replaced their staple crops with European-fancied novelties like baby corn. While Tesco says it will protect African producers, farmers and their advocates are not convinced and say they haven't had talks with the chain. "This announcement from Tesco is devastating," says Stephen Mbithi Mwikya, who heads a Kenyan export association. He fears the green-minded move and others like it, considered progressive in far-off lands, could cripple Kenya's economy.
source: BBC News, Victoria Averill, 21 Feb 2007
see also, in Gristmill: British supermarkets are going green
Will Africa’s farmland become a “resource curse”?
‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science
Copenhagen talks ready for take off: 5, 4, 3…
Comments
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Daylight Posted 3:21 am
22 Feb 2007
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Jim ONeill Posted 7:34 am
22 Feb 2007
Strengthening local, diversified, stable economies does far more good than furthering the globalization agenda. Encouraging small, locally-owned businesses will create more jobs and improve the quality of life of more African people -- it raises equality and lessens poverty, while the "free trade" currently practiced by the developed world does the reverse.
(Incidentally, the above is true not only for Africans, but for people on other continents as well.)
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sayno2gm Posted 11:30 pm
26 Feb 2007
Exactly when?
I'm still waiting ....
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