Love Letter on Ecology and agricultural development in Africa

My Precious,

You are the driving force of my very being. Without your unimaginable complexity, I would be nothing. Every creature, big and small, within your African systems has made me who I am today. From the livestock we have raised to the microorganisms in the soil that I depend on, I adore them all. But it doesn’t stop there! The beauty of your climates is the one of the reasons for my success. I have to say, it hasn’t always been an easy relationship. Your soils are harsh and abrasive; the rainfall patterns I deal with every season often limit my capabilities; and some of your lands are excruciatingly dry.

These bipolar moods of yours drove me to another. One of my first encounters with her was around 2000 years ago, when the creation of her iron tools were first used in my systems. Admittedly, Technology has done things for me that I never dreamed were possible! She provided me with irrigation methods, plows, and even new breeds of plants and animals that could better withstand your hostile conditions.In the Northeast region, for example,  the development of her ox plow and wheel, allowed me to grow more crops in a shorter time. She also crafted tools, such as the hoe and machete, to entrance me by aiding in the cultivation of crops. With the ax and the sickle I was able to clear land and crops (like millet and rice).

I admit that I lusted after her; I could not resist the opportunities that technology offered me. Now I plead for your forgiveness. I have underappreciated your immense value. When I think of the cattle in Ethiopia that were protected by your elevation from the tsetse fly, my heart soars with pride. Your vast system of streams and rivers is awe-inspiring and allows for the production of my crops. Even though they are often hard to live with, your temperatures give such a variety of life. The experience that I had with Technology taught me so much but also helped me realize that you can never be replaced. She will change, fail, and leave me but you will always be essential to my existence. I need you, my darling Ecology, all your good and all your bad. I am so sorry. Forgive me and please take me back…

Forever and always yours,

Agriculture

References

McCann, J. “The Ox Plow Complex: An Ecological Revolution.” In People of the Plow: An Agricultural History of Ethiopia, 1800-1990. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. 1995. Moodle. Web. 29 Jan 2017.

Benneh, George. "02." United Nations University. United Nations University, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.

International, Survival. "Shifting Cultivation." Survival International. Survival International, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.

Voortman, Roelf L. et al. “African Land Ecology: Opportunities and Constraints for Agricultural Development.” A Journal of the Human Environment. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. 2003. Web. 27 Jan 2017.

Reader, John. Africa: A Biography of the Continent. Vintage Books. New York. 1997.