Niger: Reform needed in rich countries to end famine

Economic growth will not materialise if people are hungry and the international community needs to emphasise the importance of agriculture in Africa and adopt strategies to build this capability rather than solely emphasising industrial growth. This is according to a paper from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Debt, Aid and Trade, which discusses some of the reasons for continued famine in Africa, with a focus on Niger. The paper says IMF policies of slashing subsidies for agricultural inputs will hinder development. Subsidy reform is another key criteria - abolishing rich-country agricultural subsidies would result in a 13 per cent rise in GDP per person in Africa, says the report. "The developed world should seriously question the impact that its own economic protectionism has on Africa's poor and recognise that they are a significant contributor to poverty and food insecurity. Developed countries must implement their own economic reform for the sake of Africa's long- term food security."