Brown should not commit so casually to give our money away. The Africans largely squander it anyway, so giving more wont help. far more useful to most african countries will be for Europe to make it easier for them to trade with us, while still allowing them some protection from our predatory companies. Also we should stop dumping our agricultural products and thus destroying their own markets.

Aid creates dependency and distortion, trade allows them to develop. Most western countries made their fortunes using a mix of competing and protection, the 3rd world should be allowed to do the same. BUt the EU will always prefer protectionism over fair trade.

Brown is a clown on this like so much else.

why has craig posted the same four comments,therebye comendearing & wasting space on the comments page

Of course, the Prime Minister is right in speaking so.
Right morally and right scientifically. The issue of the debts of African countries is strongly related to the prices of food in UK. please read on, why...
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A ray of hope on global food crisis

Yannis Zabetakis
Lecturer in Food Chemistry
University of Athens

The past few months many different points of view have been published on the different dimensions and the causes of the soaring food prices all over the world and the still emerging global food crisis. Very few authors have though suggested a way forward, a breakthrough solution, a ray of hope for the billions of people that are now affected and will be affected in the months to come.
In the nineties, I was studying and then teaching in the University of Leeds and those years were full of the “mad cow disease” scandal and the (still) ongoing debate on GM foods. Both the scientific community and the Society now know that by pressing the land or the animals to produce more, we are causing many undesired side effects.
The most comprehensive worldwide study to date on the safety of GMOs was completed in UK in 2005 by the Royal Society. The study of winter oil rapeseed, one of Britain's biggest crops, concluded that wildlife and the environment would suffer if the GM crop was grown in the UK. In this study, the effects of GM and non-GM crops on bees, butterflies, bugs, weeds and other farmland wildlife in two farming regimes were assessed. Large fields were planted half with GM and half with conventional crops and the results compared. The main finding was that broadleaf weeds, such as chickweed, on which birds rely heavily for food, were far less numerous in GM fields than conventional fields. Some of the grass weeds were more numerous, although this had less direct benefit for wildlife and affected the quality of the crops. These results made it clear that it is not the GM crops that harm wildlife but the herbicide sprayed on them. Fields containing conventional crops are sprayed with a herbicide which usually kills weeds before the crops emerge but herbicide-tolerant GM crops can be sprayed later. The results from the GM crops were that the patented glufosinate-ammonium weedkiller was so effective that there were one-third fewer seeds for birds to eat at the end of the season than in a conventional crop. Two years later there were still 25 percent fewer seeds, even though the weedkiller had not been applied again. These weeds are effectively the bottom of the food chain, so the seeds are vital for farmland birds, which are already in decline. There were also fewer bees and butterflies in the GM crops. All the evidence suggests that it is the herbicide that makes the difference to the wildlife. Since GM crops cause the loss of wildlife, it can be concluded that they are not safe [1]. Despite this strong scientific evidence, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is now suggesting that GM crops could be a solution to the global food crisis!
Let’s consider though a different approach looking closer at the huge potential of Africa as a continent still fit to produce organic food rather than GM crops. Thanks to the cause of debt relief being championed by the likes of Bono and Geldof, it is now widely known that most African countries have crippling and insurmountable debts to which debt relief is the only humane solution [2]! Given these debts, it is practically impossible for African countries to afford GM technology and therefore the suggestion of OECD is scientifically wrong and financially doubtful.
On the other hand, we need to accept the current status of Africa as a poor crop producer. This continent is vastly underdeveloped but because of this, it is still unpolluted! Thus, it could be said that Africa has many “organic farms” waiting to be “exploited”. This “exploitation” though needs to be carried out in a thoughtful and, if possible, humble way. We simply can not suggest that Africa is the right place for GM crops as Professor R. Paarlberg implies with his book “Starved for Science: how biotechnology is being kept out of Africa” [3].
We could thus suggest a simple solution to increase the global food production. This suggestion has two steps:
1. the West needs to give African countries a debt relief and
2. the African countries would then be able to afford the infrastructure to increase the production of organic [and not GM!] food
The advantages of this solution are numerous: the global food production will be multiplied by a huge factor and the consumers who seek organic food, free of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones, would have the chance to buy such food and help Africa at the same time! Also, the quality of life for African people would be improved and a lot of diseases like malaria or AIDS than now kill many thousands may be tackled in a more effective way!
In order to do so though, the West, the G8 and the World Bank need to show some vision and some negligence to the “political cost”. Can they?
1. http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.prnt_article?e=C&f=&t=10&m=A20&aa=1
2. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/27/europe/EU-GEN-World-Forum-Back-to-Africa.php
3. http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/29/opinion/edpaarlberg.php

The idea of Brown criticising people for "backsliding" on promises is ludicrous.Remember the referendum?Nor is the idea of financial support for Africa supported by the British people ...not whilst African leaders show such lack of courage in supporting the evil Mugabe.

What a cheek from Our Leader Brown. Britain is bankrupt and all he can come up with is to give more of our money to Africa.

Maybe Brown needs to be reminded that Charity begins at Home.

As for Sir Bob, sorry squire you had your chance 20 odd years ago, its time to look after the Brits for a change.
And Slump or not, our Leader Brown has just given the go-ahead to spend an enormous amount of cash on, guess what, the largest aircraft carrier ever built.

Doesn’t that make you all feel Great?
It should!
Britannia Rules the Waves….

Africa is betraying Africa it is quite clearly entirely corrupt and all we are doing is supporting tin pot dictators with our money, what mandate does Brown have to throw away our tax money when we are being taxed to the hilt. Show us a breakdown of exactly what and where every penny goes before you are permitted to spend another penny!Publish it and I am quite sure you will be shocked. Enough is Enough

The cause of aid for Africa would be greatly enhanced if foul mouthed Geldof disengaged. Bob, you were a good trun but you've been on too long.

Bob Geldolf needs a reality check! Africa is in a mess because it tolerates kleptocrats who just plunder the cookie jars with impunity.

Recent reports stated that only 23 of the 53 states in the African Union have democratic governments!

Therein lies the rub.

They do not need more AID - they need better governments & better controls on Swiss Bank accounts to stop more money flowing out of Africa than AID puts in.

Africa is a continent blessed with massive natural resources - it is time that the money from that flows to grassroots intead of into personal bank accounts.

NO to more of my taxes going as AID & on expensive NGO's (who litter only the best hotels on the continent) & other do-gooders!

The general tone here, that Geldorf is well meaning but wrong, was once probably right. Now this view is dangerous. Do we really want to reward African countries and thus endorse their ruinous policies? We need only look at the recent failure of the AU to even criticise (let alone act against) Mugabe to know why we must not give aid or debt relief to African countries. Unless they uphold basic governance and a vaguely ethical foriegn policy all aid must be withheld. On this basis limited developmental aid and debt relief should be made available to Kenya and Botswana - nothing for any of the others. Until Africa solves Zimbabwe I shall continue to lobby my MP to oppose aid and debt relief to African countries. And I am one of many. I would welcome Sir Bob's response to this comment. If he has one.

The one question I repeat ad nauseum is this: Why is there never any mention of the fact that the population of Africa doubles every 25 years? These 'experts' who speak and write so emotionally and eloquently about Africa, appear to know pratically nothing about the situation. My African friends keep on sugesting to me that the sooner these 'Western knowalls' keep their noses out of Africa, the sooner Africans will be compelled to find solutions themselves.

We gave them $20 billion in 2006 - $18 billion of it went on arms. Presumably the rest went on Mercedes, Rolex watches, gold tiaras for the wife, and a lot of doofy medals for their mates, washed down by Krug. Forget it. Unless we can actually feed the poor long-suffering African people themselves. Without the intermediary of their oh-so-caring leaders.

Why are we always being dragooned into trying to help Africa? Let them sort their own problems out. Sick of Brown pouring our money, not his, into the insatiable maw of the African leaders. Charity begins at home. Wish the left wing, trendy papers would headline the misery that many Britons suffer, pensioners in unrelenting poverty, going cold and hungry. People pulling out their own teeth because there are not enough NHS dentists and they cannot afford the farcical amounts demanded by the private brigade. Disgusting filthy hospitals whose corridors are patrolled by suits with clip boards instead of cleaners, nurses etc. An education system that does everything except educate. An unbelievably cruel tax system. A Labour govt: with an a witless unelected sub prime minister - need I go on?

All aid should cease until the various countries sort themselves out. Despite their 'poverty' africans still often manage to produce 12 plus children - anyone in Europe or the US would be poor if they had that many children.

aid is not achieving anything - mostly stolen by dictators like mugabe - and we should not send any aid to countries that support him.

Most of these countries need to be re-colonized so they can be run properly.

Africa's mineral wealth is immense. More than $583 BILLION dollars in aid and nothing to show for it. Sanction all arms deals into Africa. SA has spent billions of Rands on submarines and war material, what for, whilst millions starve. Mandela's charities have been honoured with billions. Bill Gates gave Mandela $39 MILLION some years ago, converted into the local currency there would be enough for everybody. Trusts have been set up for the 'Liberation fighters' worth millions. The BEE has created billionaires. Christian guilt has gone past its sell by date. Brown start looking after the downtrodden Brits starting with the pensioners.

Yannis Zabetakis has hit the nail on the head.

Genetically modified food is not the answer for Africa or "Global food crisis". What African nations needed 60 years ago was the freedom and the ability to manage their affairs without interference from the West. Africa was not allowed to evolve naturally and the so called democracy is not a model that can be used effectively in Africa.

It is time the West takes responsibility for it's actions over a period of sustained pillaging of African Resources through institutions such as International Monetary Fund IMF, World Bank etc. The conditionalities imposed on under-developed and developing nations has allowed these nations to become dependent on aid without the freedom to make their own decisions or ability to harness their national resources for the benefit of their people.

The ruse of the GM foods for agricultural purposes in Africa is another big scam engineered by the West to keep Africa beholden to them. For instance, the provision of GM rice seeds over a period of time will provide so called bumper harvests in a shorter period but will result in a) traditional provision of seeds for the next season is not be viable because GM rice seeds cannot be stored for longer periods as our organic rice varieties b) GM seeds will have to be imported from the West thus providing yet again another avenue for the West to exploit Africa.

What is wrong with our organic rice? Organic rice that people in the West will pay good money for. The answer is relaxed trade tariffs and legislation that will allow Africa to trade freely and fairly with the West!

If Africa dies the rest of the World goes with it - regardless of how industrialised and environmentally conscious they become. The world is interdependent. The hypocrisy of the West needs to stop!!!!

Africas begging bowl has been out for the past fifty years to my knowledge and will be out for another fifty if we keep giving.
Giving I may say,at the expense of our own pensioners who just survive.
Stop spouting off Geldoff,we'll have the other idiot bonehead along soon preaching to us all.
If you two bigheads cared so much,you would sell your mansions and buy a terrace to live in.Somehow,I get the feeling that neither Bonehead nor Geldoaf will be down-sizing.
They want your money for Africa but not their own.HYPOCRITES.
p.s. All Africans have the option to use birth control.

According to a recent BBC article, 25% of all wealth generated in Africa is lost to corruption - Western officials who siphon billions into Swiss bank accounts.

Perhaps more effort should go into treating the CAUSES of African poverty. Throwing more 'aid' at the continent will simply not help.

There should be more safeguards put in place to stop such endemic corruption, and encouragement of Africa's own industries - allowing them to build up their own economies.

I'm suffering from aid for Africa fatigue,trillions pumped in over the last 60yrs,population doubles every 25yrs,less than half the African countries are democracies.After the performance by the AU over the Mugabe issue,don't ask me for a donation.

Just over 50 years ago when I was a little boy my father clipped me around the ears and told me to finish the food that was on my plate since other children in Africa had nothing to eat and I should be grateful that I had. Billions of ££ have since been poured into Africa with little result. It appears to me that a lot if not all of this money has been wasted. The continent is corrupt from top to bottom.

Before the 'Live Aid' concert Mr.Geldorf was an scruffy looking pop singer. After huge amounts of money were donated for his 'African cause' and endless self promotion he is allegedly a multi millionaire. How much money does he need? How much has he personally donated ? Does he pay all the taxes like an ordinary person or has he made use of any tax schemes to minimise his tax bill like Bono the Irish singer.? All monies given away by governments are taxpayers monies. Perhaps we should be told.

I am sick of the avaricious, money-worshipping millionaire Gedof telling ordinary Joes like me to give my money to the poor. You won’t catch him or his ilk giving all their wealth away to help the Africans.

All colonised African countries were left with an infrastructure to build on. When the colonists left Africans struck up unhealthy alliances with 'comrades'. TRAINING was supplied and enforced by these communists and to this day these alliances have continued to their detriment. India in the meanwhile have used their colonial past and are potentialising every opportunity to being a world power. Whilst the UK injects money into the empty bucket of Africa, African leaders squander money erasing every trace of colonial history. China's 'quiet colonisation' continues in Africa without regard for the people whilst Russia offers nothing except the occasional comment usually against anything European. What has Europe learned from the Mugabe saga? not much. Maybe Bob G should have met up with Bob M for a wee chat and some arm twisting.....the overseas assets of African leaders including properties and bank accounts should be exposed without exception. They are responsible for keeping their people hungry, uneducated and under valued as human beings. Worse still African women have got suffering in their veins as their spirits wither under the load of archaic tribal domination and the self inflicted plague of Aids. After Mbeki's defiance and two fingers up to Europe, it is time to relocate the 2010 football elsewhere and let them rather utilise the money for the poor. Aid has become a lopsided affair where we are robbing the the UK taxpayer and giving the money to corrupt governments. Its time for taxpayers to say 'enough is enough'. Is anybody listening.....

So according to Brown, we should double our aid to Africa to stop the Chinese from gaining more influence. Doesn't this say it all for our intensions in Africa? It's got nothing to do with feeding the starving millions but everything to do but bribing the African ruling elite from turning to China. No wonder they’re cacking themselves now because despite decades of bribes, sorry aid, the Chinese have still managed to gain influence simply by treating Africans as equal trading partners instead of lecherous problem cases. If the Chinese policy of 'trade not aid' is having a positive affect on the living standard of African’s then why can’t we do the same, unless that’s not the intention of the aid? Wasting billions more of our hard earn taxes for what is a clearly failing foreign policy is ridiculous.

Why doesn't Geldof put this money where his mouth is and donate 80% of this wealth to Africa? He's so rich that even after donating all that money I'm sure he's still better off the average person. Even if he gave a million or two, that’s still a smaller percentage of his income than the every person pays in taxes. Don't go using my hard earn money to pay for your pet project when you're sitting on a fortune you hypocrite.

African leaders are betraying Africa. No-one ever declares that poor Chinese are poor because Europe is failing to give money to their poor. Almost 300 million Chinese have come out of poverty in the last decade through one thing alone; trade with the West.

Africa, for as long as it chooses to celebrate the likes of Robert Mugabe, Omar Bongo, or Muammar Gaddafi, does not deserve anyone's time or money.

Giving good money to dictators will not achieve the creation of value. If wishes were sufficient, then faded pop-stars would sell a lot more albums instead of trying to claim social relevance through demanding that other people give their money away for debatable ends.