（第１３回）多くのアフリカ諸国で農業研究への投資が不足

Much of Africa Not Investing Enough in Agricultural Research
多くのアフリカ諸国で農業研究への投資が不足

こんにちは。
今日の話題は、アフリカの農業研究です。貧困との戦いを続けるアフリカ諸国で
は、それぞれの国で農業研究への投資がもっと必要のようです。

それでは、単語から
[Words]
agricultural research　農業研究
poverty　貧困
sub-Saharan Africa　サハラ以南のアフリカ
cause　原因
volatility　乱高下
water scarcity　水不足
address　対処する
commitment　深い関与
institutes　機関
measure　方法
donation　寄付
qualified　能力のある
retirement　定年退職


それでは、放送を聞いてみましょう。

[Sound - Web]
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[Sound - MP3]
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[Transcript]
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Investing in agricultural research and development can help poor
countries fight hunger and poverty. A new study says investments in
sub-Saharan Africa increased by more than twenty percent between two
thousand one and two thousand eight. But the study also found that just
a few countries were responsible for most of that growth.

Nigeria was responsible for one-third of it. Ghana, Tanzania, Sudan and
Uganda also increased their spending. But thirteen countries decreased
their investments.

Nienke Beintema from the Washington-based International Food Policy
Research Institute led the study. She says new technologies are needed
to deal with some of the causes of hunger.

NIENKE BEINTEMA: "Food price volatility, growing population, water
scarcity and climate change. There is more demand on better technologies
or different technologies to address these issues."

She says some countries, including Nigeria, have increased their
investments after spending far too little in the past.

NIENKE BEINTEMA: "It is a positive sign because it is more commitment
from the government. But Nigeria had extremely low levels of
agricultural research funding. I was there for the first time in two
thousand or two thousand one. And I visited institutes that could not
function. They even did not have a phone line, or they did not have gas
for the cars, one computer that did not work."

Nigeria now has the largest agricultural research system south of the
Sahara. That is one measure of progress. But Nienke Beintema says a
better measure is whether a country is spending more than one percent of
its agricultural money on research. And in two thousand eight, she says,
Nigeria was not doing that.

Botswana, Burundi, Kenya, Mauritania and Mauritius were spending more
than one percent. So were Namibia, South Africa and Uganda.

Ms. Bientema examined levels of financing and employment at three
hundred seventy research centers in thirty-two countries. She believes
most countries depend too heavily on international donations to help pay
for research. Many donations are short term, she says, and the research
often ends when the money has been spent.

Ms. Bientema says countries must improve their higher education systems
to get more qualified researchers. But the study found that new
researchers are not being hired in some countries because of budget
problems. At the same time, many older researchers are nearing
retirement age.

Private industry may be able to help if governments cut their spending.
Some cooperatives, for example, raise money for research into important
crops.

And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by
Jerilyn Watson and Steve Baragona. For more agricultural news and to
learn English, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.


どうでしたか。
それでは、記事に関しての質問です。
(Q.1) How much did agricultural investments increase between 2001 and
2008 in sub-Saharan Africa?
(Q.2) What are the causes of hunger?
(Q.3) What is a disadvantage of donations?

(A.1) A new study says investments increased by more than twenty percent.
(A.2) Food price volatility, growing population, water scarcity and
climate change.
(A.3) Many donations are short term.

(Q.1) ２００１年から２００８年の間にサハラ以南のアフリカの農業投資はどの
くらい増えましたか。
(Q.2) 飢饉の原因は何ですか。
(Q.3) 寄付の不都合な点は何ですか。

(A.1) ２０パーセント以上増加しました。
(A.2) 食料価格の乱高下、人口増加、水不足、気候変動。
(A.3) 多くの寄付は、短期的なものである点。

いかがでしたでしょうか。
長期にわたって研究を支える資金と環境の確保が課題のようです。

それでは。
また次回。
See you next time.