The problem in Africa is the infrastructure to support industrial agriculture didn't exist. For the green revolution you need:
1) Cash-based farm economy so that farmers can buy the inputs.
2) Good roads and railroads to link farmers to markets (to buy inputs and sell their produce).
3) Facilitators - from agricultural scientists to teach farmers how to use the new techniques to shopkeepers, truckers, insurance providers etc. When lacking some facilitators, farmers can do those jobs themselves, but if there are too few facilitators, then switching to the new system is too much work for any human.
The biggest lack in Africa has been the infrastructure. Africa just didn't have enough roads and rails (or enough cities) in the 70s.
It is better now, but it is still easier for African cities to import crops from the US than from their own hinterlands in most cases.
fasquardon
1) Cash-based farm economy so that farmers can buy the inputs.
2) Good roads and railroads to link farmers to markets (to buy inputs and sell their produce).
3) Facilitators - from agricultural scientists to teach farmers how to use the new techniques to shopkeepers, truckers, insurance providers etc. When lacking some facilitators, farmers can do those jobs themselves, but if there are too few facilitators, then switching to the new system is too much work for any human.
The biggest lack in Africa has been the infrastructure. Africa just didn't have enough roads and rails (or enough cities) in the 70s.
It is better now, but it is still easier for African cities to import crops from the US than from their own hinterlands in most cases.
fasquardon
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