African farmer disputes EU criticism of fossil-fuel fertilizer, says it’s the key to ending hunger
By Guy Page
Are you frustrated with the steady barrage of anti-fossil fuel initiatives from Montpelier making it more expensive and less free for you to drive, see at nighttime, stay warm, and eat?
You’re not alone!
‘Asante’ (Thank you in Swahili) to small-scale farmer Jusper Machogu for posting on Facebook why fossil-fuel-based fertilizers are the key to feeling a continent where one in five sub-Saharan Africans still experience hunger…..
Here’s what he writes…..
Chemical fertilizers are toxic to ‘African soils’!, says Richard from the European union. The EU that gets about 60% of their Phosphate from Morocco! Our natural gas (Ammonia) and phosphate, that we have in plenty, are toxic to feed the impoverished hungry African with! In other words, our fertilizers are safe for the European and not Africa!
The continent that has been using 20 kilos of fertilizer per hectare per year on average will ‘acidify’ its soils! Do you know we consume about 5% of synthetic fertilizers globally with 17% of the world population? The EU consumes 160 kilos per ha! I don’t see it worried about hunger or acidity. China does 360! And have you heard of lime?
Increasing soil erosion? I don’t get that. More NPK means more plants thus more soil cover.
Polluting ground water? The solution to clean water is drilling boreholes, desalination and water plants that purify water. The solution is access to affordable plentiful Fossil Fuels and not using fertilizer.
Poisoning rivers? How poisoned are the EU lakes and rivers? How do people survive? I know of many reports on river poisoning through the use of fertilizer in the Netherlands but the Dutch farmers are well known for crazy countrywide demonstrations when the gov tried to limit the amount of fertilizer they used! I don’t think they are worried about river pollution at all! Why should a typical African worry about that?
Africa has been practicing Agroecology/sustainable farming for centuries. I am not surprised to learn that 1 in 5 people in SS Africa sleeps hungry. Or a hectare of land produces about 2-3 Tons of 🌽 compared to 12 Tons in the US! The difference is in our rate of application of crop food (fertilizer) per ha. It is why affluent countries have 75% more food than they really need.
Fossil Fuels for Africa.