The greatest tragedy that could befall an agrarian country like The Gambia, where a large percentage of the population live on family farm income and produce, is to allow those farms to be taken over by rich investors. This would transform generations of family farm members into landless paupers.
Africa has many governments that have departed from the policy of self-reliance in agriculture which aims to merchanise family farms to feed families in particular and the population at large. They are now encouraging family farm owners and village heads to give up their agricultural lands to investors and transform villagers into agricultural workers who earn less than what it requires to eat a balanced meal a day. Once someone promises to invest billions in agriculture, the impression is given that poverty would be eradicated and prosperity ensured. Investment must go with returns which are not shared with any family land owners who agree to relinquish their land to an investor for a paltry price. It is repatriated. Foreign investment in land may be encouraged after the citizens have put into productive use all the land they possibly could leaving virgin land to lie fallow during a lease period. This is how matters stand.
