‘Meanwhile African products are shut out of European and American markets by protectionist tariffs.’

Not anymore, it seems. This year, Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana and Chad and Nigeria removed their fuel subsidies in accordance with an order from the IMF. This brings fuel/gas prices in these countries to about the same price as the average US citizen pays, even though the average citizen earnings in these countries are much lower.

http://newsrescue.com/imf-forces-african-nations-to-remove-fuel-subsidies/#ixzz248Bb7tNZ

Then of course, there’s the violent overthrow of the West’s favourite horribly evil person, which has significantly changed the game plan for the African continent – as it was intended to. The African Union, under Colonel Gaddafi’s leadership had an estimated $150 billion worth of investments in Africa and advanced plans for an African Union Development Bank, which would have seriously reduced African financial dependence on the West. China was also a potential major player in a future African continent, but again that game plan has now changed.

As AFRICOM commander, Vice Admiral Robert Moeller, openly declared in 2008, its guiding principle was to protect “the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market” and cited China’s increasing presence in the region as ‘challenging’ to American interests.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200908140153.html

All so sad, predictable and inevitable.

Keith - aren't you meant to be a member of the Club of Rome? What is it about limits to growth that you do not understand? How will Africa "develop" in the face of rampant population growth and declining world energy resources (not to mention climate change)?

"There is sufficient water for agriculture" - What a meaningless statement about a continent the size of Africa. Of course there is water but not always in the place where it is needed.

Looking for a difference between Japan and the Phillipines? Maybe rampant population growth in the latter is holding developmental goals back in the latter?

My prediction for Africa - widespread famine / habitat destruction / ethnic conflict in a self-reinforcing spiral downwards. I'll give you 100:1 odds on that versus "development".

Killarney,

One wonders what will happen to Africa if a "Green Revolution" comparable to India's is realised.

India has had much of its "living" soil destroyed. The microbes that live and maintain the soil's vitality have been destroyed through the use of pesticides and fertilizers and the uptake of monoculture in farming practice. These are of course purchased from the giant corporations - along with the hybrid seeds that are sterile or designed to fail in successive plantings.

If Africa is to build on its assets, it must reject a takeover by Western corporate-led agricultural practices. It must hold tight to traditional knowledge and only take the best advice from the West in the preservation of its soil.

The advent of AFRICOM, a U.S. military and spy base, suggests the the future of Africa is dim. Look at Afghanistan and Iraq if you don't believe me.

The U.S. will use a combination of warmongering and bribes to cherrypick Africa, take the best it has to offer, ensure that other nations like China and Russia don't get much of a look in.

African nations, if they are wise, will keep the U.S. and International Corporations from entering the continent. They should look to South America for assistance and to use as a model.

*The microbes that live and maintain the soil's vitality have been destroyed through the use of pesticides and fertilizers and the uptake of monoculture in farming practice.*

Hang on there, Poirot. You will find that in Africa, many soils are
simply clapped out, due to lack of some of the elements required for plant growth. You will find that using fertilisers on these soils
actually increases microbes, not decrease them. Fact is that without
replacing nutrients being removed by crops, farming is essentially
mining.

Yabby,

I'm sure that's true in some instances.

But it doesn't rebut the assertion that the "encouraged" overuse of pesticides and fertilisers has degraded huge tracts arable land in India.