Europe is milking Africa dry

We have just learnt that the French Committee for International Solidarity (CFSI – Comité Français pour la Solidarité Internationale ) is running a campaign against European policy in Africa together with SOS-Faim of Belgium and Luxemburg, under the slogan “L’Europe est vache avec l’Afrique”.*

     You will not be surprised to hear that the people of Burkina Faso are in total agreement with the catchwords of the campaign. The women running a small dairy shop in Koudougou would be the last ones to state the contrary. They have been forced to readjust their price on yoghurt, produced with local milk, along the price levels of a dairy firm in Ouagadougou , which is now selling in Koudougou as well. This firm processes yoghurt from imported milk powder. I do not know which brand  is involved in this case, but it is a fact that in Ouagadougou 25 kg bags of imported European Vivalait and Bridel milk powder are sold at 40 000 francs a piece. Thus, it takes only 200 francs to buy enough powder to make 1 litre of milk formula, which is then processed into yoghurt. But the women who make yoghurt in Koudougou have to pay 300 francs a litre for local fresh milk… It is also a fact that if the European milk sector had not been subsidised all along the way from stable to table, their milk powder would enter Burkina Faso markets at a price of over 300 francs.

 It is also well known that the EU is now pressing West African trade ministers hard to force through a so-called Economic Partnership Agreement. The West African Economic Community, ECOWAS has asked for a three year extension in order to thoroughly review the text of the EU draft and to better prepare the talks. But here again the EU is attempting to enforce its deadline. The negotiators came to Ouagadougou in December 2006 to declare that everything must be signed, up and running by December 2007. They did so in spite of the opposition from the ECOWAS. Will the West African negotiators be able to defend their case against the Europeans, who keep telling all and sundry that “everything is negotiable, nothing will be imposed”

 One may be forgiven for having doubts! Listening carefully does not appear to be the prime virtue on the European side of the field. This became clear at a hearing with representatives of the civil society in Burkina and the EU on December 14.

We were a group of about 30 having been invited by the EU Delegation to an information meeting and discussion on the implications of an Economic Partnership Agreement for     Burkina Faso and the opportunities it would provide.

 The meeting was chaired by the Head of the EU Delegation, arriving in Burkina for negotiations with the ECOWAS. He told us how pleased he was for the opportunity to come to Burkina and listen to us. He felt the need to hear our views. But at the end of 9O minutes, the EU representatives had taken up 85 minutes of the time, repeating over and over that they were confident that trade would bring development to West Africa. At this point our group had had a mere 5 minutes of speaking time. The meeting lasted for only two hours. This gives in a nutshell the balance of power between Europeans and Africans at the negotiating table: 5/85 or 1 to 17!

 On this occasion there was also a TV broadcast on the EPAs. An African spokeswoman (who owns some cattle and a small dairy in Burkina) said that the effects on the population of the EPAs could be worse than the death toll taken by AIDS… The EPAs will allow European foodstuffs to invade West African markets to an even greater extent than at present and will sink farmers and livestock owners into misery. Soon they will no longer be able to cure themselves or even feed themselves. “Today” she said “one can manage to find protection against AIDS, but when the EPAs are signed, we shall stand defenceless against Europe . Even civil servants will be affected, because farmers will leave their land and come to settle in the city.”

 Hers was an outcry to Africa ’s political leaders not to sacrifice their populations by signing bad agreements, based on free trade in its radical form.

 In fact Europe is kicking the bucket of Africa - and not just the milk cans.

 Will the ECOWAS leaders give in to the Europeans or will it, in a sudden spasmodic flexing of its democratic muscle, decide to listen to its civil society and take the EU by the horns?

Koudougou, 08/01/2007
Maurice Oudet
Director, SEDELAN

* In French - Very strong language and a harsh accusation against EU agricultural policy. The pun on the assonance of “ vache” = cow and  “être vache” = play a foul trick on someone, is not directly translatable, for obvious reasons   (Translator’s note).