Farming in Africa (Africa, a potential world’s food producer)

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BBC Learning English

Minute English

Farming in Africa (Africa, a potential world’s food producer)

Alice: Hello, I'm Alice.

Yvonne: And I'm Yvonne.

Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! And in today’s programme we’re talking about

farming in Africa.

Yvonne: The study of farming is called agriculture.

Alice: This is a new look at agriculture in Africa – how one expert – a Harvard

Professor thinks Africa could change from being an importer of food to an

exporter in one generation (изменить свой статус с импортера до экспортера в течение одного поколения).

Yvonne: In one generation – that’s usually a period of about 20 to 30 years. The time it

takes for someone to become an adult (взрослый).

Alice: In his book ‘The New Harvest’, Professor Calestous Juma says Africa could

become self-sufficient ( самодостаточный ) in terms (относительно) of growing food within one generation. But before we find out more, can you explain what a staple crop is?

Yvonne: Sure. A staple crop ( основная культура ) is a plant that is grown for food and it’s considered to be the most important part of a country’s diet.

Alice: So like rice or corn. And my question is about the country Professor Calestous

Juma comes from originally – Kenya. Which of these is a staple crop in Kenya?

a) rice

b) maize (кукуруза)

c) wheat

Yvonne: I think I’m going for maize because I know that is something that’s used in

other countries in Africa.

Alice: Well, we’ll find out at the end of the programme. Now let’s see how Professor

Juma thinks Africa could become food secure.

Yvonne: Food secure – that’s self-sufficient in terms of food.

Alice: He believes that leaders in Africa need to make agriculture a top priority. And

he says that the modernisation of agriculture is the responsibility of African

Presidents. Let’s listen to what he says:

Insert 1: Professor Calestous Juma

I think the most important message is for them to recognize ( признать ) that agriculture and the economy for Africa are one and the same ( одно и то же ). And that is the responsibility of an African president to modernise the economy and that means essentially starting with the modernisation of agriculture. And that they should stick with it and not hand it over to departmental (government) ministries.

Alice: Agriculture and economy are one and the same.

Yvonne: One and the same – a phrase which means they are identical. They are the

same – here that the economy in Africa is completely dependent on (зависит от) agriculture.

Alice: The BBC’s Science Reporter Neil Bowdler says Professor Juma is

thinking big.

Yvonne: Thinking big – he has large ambitions.

Alice: He believes it’s a question of political will.

Yvonne: Political will – if politicians want to make something happen, they will.

Insert 2: BBC’s Science Reporter Neil Bowdler

Professor Juma can't be accused of not thinking big. He says that with land and labour abundant ( изобильный ), Africa shouldn't be a hungry importer of food, but a major exporter. He says it's all a question of political will.

Alice: Juma can’t be accused of not thinking big.

Yvonne: That’s true. He says Africa has abundant land and labour.

Alice: Abundant – lots of, lots of land to grow crops on and lots of labour – lots of

people to work on farms.

Yvonne: But what about the detail of how this can happen? Large areas of Africa’s land

are desert or suffer from drought.

Alice: According to Neil Bowdler, Juma has a wish list.

Yvonne: A wish list – a list of things he would like to happen. What are they?

Alice: He wants to boost investment in roads – to carry crops and machines from

place to place.

Yvonne: Boost investment – increase the amount of money put into

agriculture. What else?

Alice: To boost investment in irrigation (орошение).

Yvonne: Irrigation – moving water from one place to another to make sure crops don’t

dry out (высохнуть).

Alice: And to mechanise farms – introduce big machines to help with the harvest and

process crops. He wants people to embrace what science can offer.

Yvonne: To embrace what science can offer – to take advantage of new technology.

Alice: In agriculture this might mean using genetically modified crops.

Yvonne: GM crops – crops that have been developed by scientists to be stronger or to

need less water to grow, so they may be less affected by climate change.

Alice: Let’s hear Neil Bowdler again.

Irrigation and energy schemes. Mechanise all farms, and build storage and processing facilities ( здания для хранения и обработки ). He's also asking the continent to embrace what science can offer, and that includes using GM crops to combat climate change ( использование генетически модифицированных продуктов в борьбе с изменениями климата ).

Alice: So before we go Yvonne. Have you thought about our question from earlier?

Which are staple crops in Kenya? Rice, maize, wheat?

Yvonne: I said maize because that’s a staple crop in other African countries.

Alice: Well, it was a trick question because all three are grown in staple crops

in Kenya. Apparently rice not as much as wheat and maize but it’s catching up.

And before we go today, Yvonne would you mind reading some of the words

and phrases we’ve heard?

Yvonne: Not at all.

Modernization

Abundant (изобильный)

Alice: Thanks very much, Yvonne. Beautifully read. We do hope you’ve had fun with us

today on 6 Minute English - and that you’ll join us again next time.

Both: Bye.