It doesn't require more knowledge than medieval level to reach a higher prosperity than today's rural Ethiopia. I think low living standards of Ethiopia is due to chronic laziness caused by the last decade which was hard on Ethiopians, in war and famine many strong groups preyed on hardworking weak societies in turn many people just worked enough to feed themselves so that no one would prey upon them (you wouldn't attack someone if there is nothing to pillage right?). It is not so hard for a 100 people society/town to reach a medieval level of civilization in Ethiopia but still many live in dark at nights. There wasn't any electricity just a few hundred years ago but i'm sure more Ethiopians were illuminated in those times. Ethipia needs skills and sadly they are too lazy to learn it for themselves(while this is a generalisation i don't mean the whole population is lazy with it). Best way is to lease land thus import skills to country yet, if done in correctly it might be disasterous. If i was Ethiopia i would only allow investors who are willing to renounce their current citizenship and become Ethiopian citizens. Also force them to build free technical schools rather than making them give empty promises to local residents like, electricity, drinking water etc...

Posted on 16 Jan 2012

my dear Alemu, I hope if you are willing to be neutral thinker and not ideologically blinded, it is very clear and it does not rocket science to know fertile land selling out is definitely distraction than a war.

Posted on 17 Oct 2010

It is impossible to judge whether it is good or bad, it depends on how the government is reflexive on the governance of the leasing system. For instance, as far as I know the local farmers have not good skills and inactive to articulate their needs. Thus, the active urban and perurban laborers would benefit from wages opportunities of the investment not the farmers

Posted on 02 May 2010