’ ▁trade ▁dependence ▁on ▁the ▁central ▁econom ies ▁in ▁Europe . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁colon ies ▁to ▁be ▁integrated ▁into ▁the ▁world ▁economy ▁and ▁imperial ▁trade ▁network , ▁the ▁colonial ▁govern ments ▁needed ▁the ▁local ▁citizens ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁market ▁activity , ▁rather ▁than ▁simply ▁subs istence ▁agricult ure . ▁One ▁method ▁that ▁colonial ▁powers ▁used ▁to ▁ur ge ▁the ▁native ▁populations ▁into ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁larger ▁economy ▁was ▁the ▁requirement ▁that ▁tax es ▁be ▁paid ▁in ▁official ▁currency . ▁This ▁made ▁subs istence ▁far ming ▁less ▁feas ible , ▁as ▁the ▁produ cers ▁then ▁needed ▁to ▁sell ▁at ▁least ▁some ▁sur plus ▁in ▁the ▁market ▁to ▁obtain ▁the ▁currency ▁needed ▁for ▁the ▁payment ▁of ▁tax es . ▁ ▁Many ▁times ▁colonial ▁powers ▁collected ▁these ▁tax es ▁through ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁local ▁African ▁chief s , ▁who ▁were ▁polit ically ▁and ▁finan cially ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁colonial ▁govern ments ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁their ▁assistance ▁in ▁enfor cing ▁these ▁govern ments ’ ▁policies , ▁especially ▁for ▁policies ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁un pop ular . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁colon izers ▁themselves ▁avoided ▁some ▁degree ▁of ▁anim os ity ▁from ▁their ▁subjects ▁by ▁using ▁these ▁established ▁chief s ▁as ▁pro x ies ▁to ▁en force ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁co er ci ve ▁policies . ▁ ▁Today , ▁many ▁African ▁econom ies ▁are ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁legacy ▁of ▁colonial ism . ▁In ▁agricult ure , ▁the ▁plant ation ▁systems ▁that ▁they ▁introduced ▁were ▁highly ▁uns ust ain able ▁and ▁caused ▁severe ▁environmental ▁de grad ation