Millennium Villages

Last Thursday I attended the UN DPI briefing on Millennium Villages. This refers to an effort to advance the goals of the MDGs in Africa by sponsoring integrated programs instead of Quick Fix Initiatives.
The integrated approach was designed by Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University. Integration refers to working at once in the fields of agriculture, health, education and infrastructure. The countries where the approach is being employed in distinct trial communities are Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Malawai, Tanzania, Uganda, Ruwanda, Ethiopia and Senegal. While the UN is the sponsor, funding is private and the country where the project is underway is the 'owner' of the project. Local design based on widespread consultation is basic to what is currently seen as an improved design over other so called development projects where local people are merely recipients of outside development. The Millennium Villages are intended to become self-sustaining by the end of five years.

Because I had another commitment I had to leave before the question and answer period, so I did not raise any questions. However, my questions would have been related to the fact that fertilizer, insecticide and high yield seed are imported.
This was praised as liberating the people from the limitations of local seed. Nothing was mentioned in the presentations about projected soil depletion or excessive quantities of water required for irrigation. Also, what about creating dependence on expensive imported products? It is hoped that the Millennium Villages are replicable throughout the given countries. I think this is doubtful.