Nevertheless, most people living in Africa’s cities have access to land in the countryside, which is why Liberia’s government rightly highlights the potential for farm expansion. In a new advertising campaign rolled out this summer, the authorities declared: “The soil is a bank; invest in it.”
In Liberia, the main push is to reduce imports of staples such as rice and tomatoes. In more prosperous countries, African elites are motivated by a complex interplay of national pride, dietary concerns and the pursuit of profit. In Zambia, for example, Sylva Banda ignited a craze for authentic traditional meals two decades ago with a chain of popular restaurants. Now, ordinary Lusakans want to cook similar meals in their own homes, driving demand for farmers who produce such delicacies as dried pumpkin, “black jack” leaves and fresh Okra.
Similarly, in Nairobi, Miringo Kinyanjui, another woman entrepreneur, is supplying unrefined — and more nutritious — maize and wheat flour. In another move to distinguish her ingredients from Western versions, Kinyanjui also sells through grocery stores flour flavored with Amarathan, a green vegetable that grows around Kenya.
The revival of traditional foods has attracted the attention of large multinational corporations. Last year, Unilever’s Kenyan branch ran a “taste our culture” campaign in support of its line of traditional East African herbs and spices.
Such campaigns go hand-in-hand with expanded farming, because sellers of these foods prefer nearby growers — even if these growers increasingly live in the city.
Juliet Torome, a writer and documentary filmmaker, was awarded Cine-source Magazine’s first annual Flaherty documentary award.COPYRIGHT: PROJECT SYNDICATE
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