Actual Situation of Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Zaire

Abstract

Agriculture remains the principal component of economic development in most African countries. Consequently, it is absurd to think of development without an adequate agricultural policy as it is the case today. An adequate strategy of agricultural development in Zaire necessitates the analysis of the causes of current agrarian crisis and, in particular, the understanding of how the additional agricultural output generated by the peasant community is monopolized by the commercial bourgeoisie. Expansion of the agricultural production (not only cash crops but also food production) should bring economical gains both to the state, the commercial bourgeoisie and to the peasants. Nevertheless, the state and the commercial bourgeoisie do not dare to see this fact. Furthermore, agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa presents many common features and faces similar difficulties. The analysis of the Zairian agriculture constitutes, then, a case study.