After the Asian tigers of the 1990s, will the new millennium see African lions assert themselves? Accustomed to thinking of Africa as more of an aid target than a business partner, few in “developed” countries have realized that the economy of sub-Saharan Africa has already had growth rates comparable to those of the BRICs for a few years. Of the world’s ten most dynamic GDP countries from 2011 to 2015, seven are in Africa: Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Congo, Ghana, Zambia and Nigeria. They are joined by Rwanda, Chad and Angola, whose markets have accelerated since 2001.
“The population and middle class are growing, and agriculture is a major driver of development,” explains Gianfranco Belgrano of the monthly Africa and Business – Italy can do a lot in terms of knowledge and technology, initiating models of cooperation for the mutual benefit of Italian industry and African countries.”
According to the World Bank, the value of agricultural sector turnover in Africa could reach 740 billion euros ($1 trillion) by 2030. Winning is the involvement of local producers, while land-grabbing is the opposite example: tragedy for those who suffer it, crime for those who promote it.
