kenyan green beans

Today I went to the grocery store to get comestibles for the weekend. I like green beans, but they're not exactly in season in March. Enter globalization - better matching supply and demand. Two weeks ago, I bought haricots verts from Morocco, and they were really tasty. Today, those from Morocco were still there, slowly boring themselves to death, judging from the sad shape they were in. They were joined by infinitely fresher looking beans from Kenya.

Beans from Kenya, some might wonder? Articles and TV shows mentioning food and Kenya these days usually emphasize the lack of the former in the latter. One of the worst droughts in recent history threatens millions with starvation. Now, how ethical is it to buy food from Kenya when people are dying there for lack of it? And, more poignantly, how ethical is it of the export company to pay huge tariffs to enter the European market, surely one of the more protective in the world, instead of selling back home? Or do Kenyans not like beans?

The conclusion is imposing itself that one of the aggravating factors in the current tragedy is, as so very often, government incompetence like misregulation of markets or failure to make the resources available to those in need. Interestingly, the single biggest donor to the World Food Program's operations in Kenya is - Kenya. These guys are outsourcing feeding their population, a decidedly weird concept, but better than doing nothing.

As a side note, when I was little and didn't finish my dinner, my mom would remind of others who were not as lucky as I and who would be happy to eat everything I couldn't. Having Kenyan beans as part of your meal adds a whole new dimension to the discussion.

Beyond discussion is the need for help of those suffering. Be generous with your favorite aid organization!