Interstellar Memoir

It could be a scene from a horror film—the world population continues to grow exponentially, and food production rates falter as what was once lush farmland lies ravished and gutted. Soon, people begin to starve, and the rich buy their tickets on space ships to colonized planets where subsistence farms continue the food production that the Earth can no longer support. While this description may remind you of the movie Interstellar, this scene illustrates a genuine and realistic fear held by many. The total world population is expected to increase 33 percent over the next three decades. Food production must increase by a whopping 70 to 100 percent to meet new demand and maintain the current pace.

China presents a national-level snapshot that

Land is among Africa’s most valued and sought-after resources, and its protection is an essential national security concern to African leaders. While African land may appear boundless, in reality it is scarce. African leaders should educate Chinese agricultural investors on best farming practices already in place within Africa. For example, Chinese investors may misperceive fallow fields as a missed investment opportunity because they do not understand fallow systems of farming. Sustainable farming is good for the land, and therefore it is good for both Africans and the Chinese investors. Building political goodwill is a key goal of investment by Chinese state-owned enterprises, so Chinese investors are likely to listen to African leaders with open ears to gain a better understanding of farming practices suited for African land. African governments should take advantage of this leverage in the bargaining

That’s impossible.” China understands more than any other investing nation what African nations are up against, and what it takes to develop successfully. African leaders must remind Chinese enterprises to keep sustainability at the forefront of every agricultural investment