Reply #16: Zimbabwe was the breadbasket for Europe, and it actually wasn't bread. [View All]

[AP]

It was tobacco.

Zimbabweans went hungry while, essentially, free land was used to grow things that were sold to European markets for huge profits which didn't flow back to the people of Zimbabe. Really, tobacco was the number one crop in Zimbabwe. They didn't even grow for the Zimbabwe markets. There was too much money to be made in Europe.

Now, many of the farms are being used to grow maize for Zimbabweans, and will generate wealth that circulates within Zimbabwe.

That's the point that the minister is making when he says that he's selling his tomatoes in the Harare markets rather than to McDonalds where they'll be slapped on top of a Royale with cheese in Amsterdam.