War and hunger are Africa greatest curses

Africa countries are still incapable of feeding their people many years after attaining independence.

Some of these countries spend resources fighting internal dissent and rebels at the expense of education, health and modern agriculture.

No wonder many African countries still toy with bio-technology as a quick measure to achieving food. This may seem ambitious but far-fetched as the GMO technology is still controversial. The world is yet to agree on the safety of applied methods, results and what it portends to human health and environment. Even developed counties are still cautious about the technology.

In any case, even if this technology was to be available, it would still require peace and stability in place in Africa for it to work for the benefit of the people. What farming can be done on land littered with unexploded weapons such as bombs, grenades and land mines? Who will farm in Somalia under attack from terrorists?

African countries have not done enough with other conventional methods such as production of food through organic methods. Livestock production is still under-developed.

Food insecurity is growing more desperate with obsolete farming technologies still in use. It is only in sub-Saharan Africa and pockets of Asia you still find use of a hoe. Such outdated farming tools can hardly produce enough even for households, let alone for the food market.

And civil strive has only complicated matters for poor countries. What insecurity has left in its wake are diseases, hunger and displacement of populations of people.

The biggest question therefore is; why is Africa still experiencing conflicts with all the oil, diamonds and gold. Extraction of these minerals continue in Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic by multinationals which hire mercenaries to protect them while they stoke war.

Permanent warfare in Africa is an industry that sustains millions of jobs in Europe and Asia and it will take a miracle to put an end to debilitating wars in Africa.