The Rural Voice, 1983-10, Page 55ONE MAN'S OPINION•
Contributing
to Others e _ r
by Adrian Vos
While most Canadians support
agencies that give help to under-
developed countries, there are many
doubters. The argument often goes
that farmers in poor countries must
produce more and that our assistance
in some instances is used to feed holy
rats in India.
This may be true on a local basis,
but we should remember that
westerners feed a legion of useless
cats and dogs and other pets, like
white mice, hamsters and canaries.
We are not as different as we think we
are.
To reassure the critics, here are
some examples of how Canadian
taxpayers' money is spent on self-help
programs in poor countries.
Few will begrudge support for the
World Health Organization, used to
train local doctors and nurses.
The International Development Re-
search Centre (IDRC), in Ottawa
helps to finance a number of projects.
One of these is a study by the
University of Manitoba on nitrogen -
fixing rhizobia, like those known to
us in soybeans. If their project to
develop cold resistant rhizobia is
successful, it could multiply chick-pea
production in poor countries.
Not all research is done in Canada.
IDRC supports a Colombian project
in harnessing the excess energy of the
African bee. The deadly insect has
done much to abandon beekeeping in
Brazil, where they first became a
menace. Their territory is spreading.
If they can be bred to become less ag-
gressive without losing their energy,
they could become a boon instead of
a plague.
Training of local geo-scientists on
actual projects takes place in such
areas of ocean drilling as Cyprus.
Such a project would be too expen-
sive for the economies of third world
countries. This type of training is in-
valuable for these people when they
go back home to Zimbabwe, Egypt or
India. They learn how and where to
drill wells, erect dams and prevent
erosion. IDRC and Dalhousie
University of Halifax work on this
project with a number of other coun-
-ies.
Most grain farmers have seen or
heard about the damage birds can do
to a crop. In the Sudan and Senegal,
some birds can destroy complete
fields of grain. Poisoning has been at-
tempted, but has been found too
dangerous for the population as well
as being futile. Scientists are now try-
ing to develop sorghum strains less
palatable to the birds which are
harvested before the migrating birds
arrive. To take full advantage of the
"green revolution" the birds must be
licked first.
There are many more development
schemes underway. Casava, yams,
sweet potato beans, tropical pastures,
rice, maize, wheat, barley, triticale,
lentils, fababean, chickpea, sorghum,
millet, pigeonpea, cowpea, cocoyam,
fish farming and disease prevention
and control.
We may sometimes find that our
money is spent foolishly, but for
every dollar misspent there are many
dollars utilized to the limit.
Money in such projects appears to
be well justified. To be selfish, the
biblical promise that bread thrown on
the waters will return, should be
remembered. If third world countries
can be made to prosper, they will be
able to buy our products thereby in-
creasing employment at home.
I would prefer to think we are eager
to contribute to the well being of
those born in less fortunate countries
from non -mercenary motives. ❑
Adrian Vos, a regular columnist with
The Rural Voice is a freelance writer
from Huron county.
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THE RURAL VOICE. OCTOBER. 1983 PG 53