ABSTRACT
The term rapid produce evacuation was frequently used by the European exporters who operated in Africa before 1940, Evacuation refers to the removal of the current export crop from the country of production. Since economists have paid little attention to the motives for, and the consequences of, rapid evacuation, such an exploration is attempted here. It involves four points. First, the notion of rapid evacuation is reconstructed. It is then explained in terms of actor decisions, particularly in the fields of financing and risk bearing. Third, the macroeconomic consequences, both in Africa and in the countries of destination, are reviewed. Fourth, rapid evacuation is assessed: Is it beneficial for the producers and the African economies?
