ABSTRACT

Erik Thorbecke says that "much of Sub-Sahara Africa’s rather dismal performance in reducing poverty can be ascribed to the particular rural development path that it adopted." Talking about policy failures presumes the existence of political will to reduce poverty. The African experience is very different from the Asian experience, where exploitative governance was less widespread. The success of development and poverty reduction strategies does not depend only on technical design. It depends as much on political decisions taken at the national level and by the international community. One factor in the development of Mauritius has been the export of sugar, its traditional crop. The Sugar Protocol of the European Union secured for Mauritius not only market access but also a preferential price for 80 percent of its annual harvest. Winning the confidence of foreign and local investors is impossible, and overall official development assistance is falling.