Prof. William Easterly succinctly points out the cause of famine:  “It’s not the rains; it’s the rulers” (williameasterly.files.wordpress.com; accessed August 10, 2011). Business initiatives (such as crop protection that increases yields and subsequent surplus sold to the market) do offer an opportunity to fight famine.

One cannot fail to notice that the aid agents and journalists who cover famine episodes in The Horn of Africa are well fed individuals who jet in from cities (Nairobi and Addis Ababa) that do not produce but basically import food. While (food surplus) cities are characterized by multi-ethnicity and high (road, air and internet) connectivity, famine ravaged regions are characterized by one ethnic/clan group and ethnic/clan or religious balkanization that limit business access.

Read More