Agriculture v. Infrastructure: The Investment Debate

            It’s no secret that these days, there isn’t enough money to go around. In our own lives we are more conscious than ever of where our money goes – how could it be better spent? Am I wasting it this way or am I being frugal? Of the things I could spend it on, which deserve the limited funds I have? It’s no different in the world of nonprofit aid and assistance. The question of investment comes up again and again with reference to the two complementary portions of Sierra Leone’s economy – agriculture and industrialism.

            The trends in aid right now seem to tend towards the infrastructure side of things. People want to invest in small businesses – see them grow into established parts of the community, or even become big and spread to other locations. To be fair, a successful economy cannot survive without currency trade. Some investment in these must be made to keep the economy from backsliding into agrarian dependency. However, agriculture is a crucial part of keeping Sierra Leone on the path to greater development.

            Agriculture provides a solid foundation for a country to thrive. To begin with, hunger is a serious issue in Sierra Leone. Nearly half the population engages in what is known as “subsistence agriculture” (farming for survival, not for trade). Yet, as of 2008, over 20% of children under the age of five classify as underweight. Still, excepting diamonds and rutile, agricultural products hold all the spots on the list of Sierra Leone’s top exports. 51% of the GDP comes from agriculture alone.

            Investing in sustainable and efficient agriculture is an incredibly vital piece of any aid given to Sierra Leone. When people are given the tools to maximize the crop potential of any arable land they possess, they can stop farming for subsistence and begin to farm for export and trade – a cornerstone of a healthy economy. Upon that rock, industrialization can begin to grow. Investments in the proper tools for farmers, as well as education on techniques to get the most out of their land, will help to build a foundation for Sierra Leone to progress to an infrastructure and service based economy more characteristic of a highly developed nation.

Marisa N.
Volunteer Blogger | Khadarlis for Sierra Leone