Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9504031326.A7255-0100000@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu> Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 13:26:59 -0400 From: Bongkot Sewatarmra <mailto:bongs@GWIS2.CIRC.GWU.EDU> Subject: Re: Foreign Aid Priorities To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L
Excuse me, Mr.Statistician, are you saying that because the Zambian average age is below 40, therefore they should keep producing (and consuming) tobacco forever? I wonder what did the Zambians do before the export promotion regime of all type of colonialism did not uproar as it is now!?! Were they into crazy consumerism like the westerners are now, or did they grow food crops, raise cattles and after all, did they have a better quality of life and more independence?Dhon Sewatarmra
On Mon, 3 Apr 1995 mailto:GOOZNER.ALAN@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV wrote:
> It is interesting to note that my response to an inquiry
> about the potential for American farm machinery marketing in
> the developing world brought discussion on the evils of
> tobacco and the taboo of having any development project
> propose the development of this industry. The fact is for
> Zambia, tobacco is the most labor intensive and most value
> added industry that this country has - more so than the
> copper industry. Tobacco provides jobs and cash wages. It
> brings in badly needed foreign exchange to purchase the
> needed farm machinery and other agricultural inputs to
> produce food crops as well. Especially with the cost of
> transport for any export out of a land-locked country so
> high, tobacco has one of the greatest potentials for
> economic development.
>
> Tobacco is hardly a major cause of death among Africans
> where in a country like Zambia the average life expectancy
> is still below age 40. Most of the production is exported
> with the Asian market being in close proximity having the
> greatest potential for expanded sales. (All you have to do
> is walk through the smoke cloud at the airport in Bombay to
> see what I mean).
>
> The problem with the Western view to development is
> that it beings the worst of the white man's morality. The
> typical consultant off the plane assumes that the problems
> of his society (smoking, unprotected sex, etc.) are also the
> problems of the society s/he endeavors to assist. In Zambia
> with vast tracts of uncultivated land and low population
> density out in the country, limiting population expansion is
> also limiting their potential for an expanded market economy
> with a large enough body of consumers to support basic
> industries. Otherwise, the people in the cities are captive
> to relying on imports for most of their everyday living
> items.
>
> The reason I use Zambia as an example is that I worked
> there for 3 years as a statistician. Most of the
> development projects have some sort of hidden agenda of
> foreign policy implementation for the donor nation. This
> type of corrupt help only transfers the worst aspects of
> what we have to offer including abuse of power in government
> and inappropriate use of resources.
>