Cheryl-Samantha Owen

The April 2008 issue of Africa Geographic published a reader's letter in response to my article 'The Sour Side of Sugar' on the situation brewing in the Tana River Delta in the magazine's March issue and my reply:

 
My reply:
Most sugarcane farming takes place in Western Kenya, here an overwhelming number of farmers have grown sugar cane as their only cash crop for over thirty years, yet despite this the Western Province is, economically speaking, the poorest of all Kenya’s districts.
According to the Western Province Organic Growers’ Alliance of Kenya (WPOGAK) over supply of the product has caused prices to plummet and three decades of worth of soil abuse, in the form of chemical fertilizers, is now realizing in falling yields. In 2003 matters for sugarcane farmers were made worse with prices reduced by almost 10% and a 7% excise tax on all farmers producing sugar cane. The combined result is an increasingly uneconomical crop to grow and the severe reliance on it has contributed to a decline in living standards; over half of all residents in the Western Province live in food poverty and up to 75% live in absolute poverty according to a government report.
Little of the profit ever reaches the small-scale farmers. Corrupt operatives including middlemen, sugar cartels, state organs and factory directors have been accused of enjoying any profitable returns. No foreign exchange is brought into the country from sugar cane as in fact demand for sugar in Kenya exceeds production by over 100,000 metric tones. Importing sugar to Kenya fills the deficit in consumption.

The best evidence of sugar cane bringing more poverty than relief elsewhere in Kenya comes directly from the farmers themselves:
“During my tour of duty in Western Province, I handled thousands of staff who could not pay school fees and make ends meet yet they have several acres under cane. It appears all the success stories of Mumias and Nzoia Sugar factories do not reach the small-scale farmers. The same bitter story is replicated in all Kenya sugar zones”, states a local sugar cane farmer in Western Kenya.
Mr. George Wamukoya, another sugar cane farmer who has since changed occupation says: “Regarding the effects of sugarcane elsewhere and in particular western Kenya, interestingly, I come from western and more importantly Mumias. Our family was among the first out grower farmers and I can say without fear of contradiction that sugarcane growing has impoverished the local community and made them poorer. In a rich agricultural area, it may surprise you that now our people depend on relief food. There is serious food insecurity in the area.”

Letter from Mr Sweet:
“I am surprised and dismayed that a serious magazine such as Africa Geographic, which aims to portray a credible environmental message, should allow such a sweeping, unsupported and unbalanced statement as "elsewhere in Kenya, sugar cane has brought more poverty than relief" (final sentence of article by Cheryl-Samantha Owen). By and large, sugar cane in Kenya (and other third world countries) provides a cash crop for growers, employment for thousands, and foreign exchange for the country. If the author truly can cite examples of "more poverty than relief" she should do so, but in context of the broader picture. Approximately five million people in Kenya depend on small-holder sugar production (e.g. mango.org.uk) and the problems encountered have mainly been political and administrative (low prices and late payments by the factories) rather than ecological. I am not supporting the Tana River development but, if readers are to be expected to believe (and take/support action on) the wildlife and environmental concerns covered in the magazine, the editorial board should be more careful to check for factual accuracy and balanced reporting.”