« Guns | Main | Tornadoes and Chance »
Agricultural Inconsistencies: Senegal
By Chris | May 24, 2008
It seems like just the other day that Bono was vilifying developed countries for flooding the world markets with cheap food. Consider this excerpt from a news article leading up to the 2006 G8 summit:
In Senegal, a resilient showcase of democracy in a continent otherwise pervaded by corrupt dictatorships and brutal wars, producers of tomatoes and other food products have been suffering for more than a decade under the unfair trade relations with Europe and other wealthy regions of the world. Their markets are overflowing with cheap, subsidised tomatoes from Italy, onions from the Netherlands, rice from Japan, cotton from the United States, and chicken parts from across Europe. As the UNHDR 2005 put it, “Sub-Saharan Africa has become increasingly marginalised (in the global trade). Today, the region, with 689 million people, accounts for a smaller share of world exports than Belgium, with 10 million people.”
Today, no one in Senegal is complaining about an overflow of cheap food:
The world food crisis, with rising prices causing shortages, riots and hunger — often for those already struggling to feed themselves — has brutally exposed Senegal’s Achilles’ heel: it imports the majority of its needs. This has left the west African state particularly at risk as it struggles to keep prices under control while setting up a vast programme to stimulate food self-sufficiency…locals grumble they can no longer afford to buy sufficient food.
Agricultural subsidies are neither efficient nor equitable. They often end up in the richest farmers’ pockets. For example, take a look at this map showing the 2007 subsidies received by farmers living in…Manhattan…New York. Nevertheless, I have always been hesitant to blame agricultural subsidies on the economic woes of lesser developed nations. Subsidies in rich countries effectively subsidize the cost of food for people around the world. Some producers are hurt, but on net, the world is getting free food. Domestic farmers may complain when prices are too low, but nations riot when prices are too high.
While writing this post, I learned that the U.S. requires that all food aid originate in the United States. Transportation costs make this incredibly wasteful.
One cost-cutting measure, supported by many economists and by relief organizations such as CARE, would be to permit the U.S. government to buy at least some of the grain it donates from farmers nearer to famine zones — to buy, say, South African or Ethiopian wheat and ship it to the hungry elsewhere in Africa. Both the European Union and Canada have recently authorized such “local and regional purchases,” with broadly successful results. President Bush has called for allowing as much as 25 percent of the U.S. food aid budget to be used this way.
The provision did not make it into the final bill that was passed by Congress, despite the president’s veto.
Topics: Economics, Food, Law, Markets | 21 Comments »
June 16th, 2008 at 1:32 am
Great catch on the Bono quote. It’s hard to complain about cheap commodities on the open market now.
The Farm bill and America’s agricultural policies are some of the most inefficient, irrational and wasteful policies we have. While Bush has disenfranchised me on a number of issues during his tenure, I was glad to see he attempted to veto the Farm bill. Unfortunately, 2/3 of our representatives and senators had other plans……
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Food Aids are badly needed by third world countries like in Africa in Asia.,*~
July 19th, 2010 at 4:50 am
food aids are badly needed by third world countries and we really need to give something to the poor.:.,
October 11th, 2010 at 10:07 am
food aids are mostly needed by the poor coutnries in africa and also in asia;~-
October 31st, 2010 at 1:46 am
there are lots of cheap foods on the market that taste like crap but there are good quality ones too `
November 24th, 2010 at 10:10 am
you can always buy cheap foods on any supermarket these days because food production is mechanized already -‘*
December 12th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
we can always give food aid to the african countries if we just save some pennies and donate it to them “:`
April 4th, 2011 at 11:39 pm
THANK FOR YOUR POST MAN
July 13th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
The style that you write make it truly simple to read. And the theme you use, wow. It really is a really decent combination. And I am wondering whats the name of the template you use?
July 14th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
I had this website bookmarked some time ago but my laptop crashed. I have since gotten a new one and it took me a while to locate this! I also really like the design though.
July 15th, 2011 at 12:27 am
Aw, this was a really quality post. In theory Id like to write like this too taking time and real effort to make a good article but what can I say I procrastinate alot and never seem to get something done.
August 8th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Allwetterreifen
August 9th, 2011 at 6:11 am
With every thing that seems to be developing throughout this specific area, many of your points of view are rather stimulating. Having said that, I appologize, but I do not give credence to your whole plan, all be it refreshing none the less. It seems to us that your opinions are not totally rationalized and in actuality you are generally your self not even fully confident of your point. In any event I did enjoy looking at it.
September 11th, 2011 at 12:20 am
Fantastic post, youve got pointed out some great points , We too wind up pregnent this kind of utes a truly excellent web site.
September 13th, 2011 at 10:32 am
Hello there, I discovered your web site by using The search engines while searching for a similar subject, your web site came out, seems like very good. I have bookmarked it in my yahoo bookmark
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:44 am
Food aids are really necessary for those people who arent eating much these days, there are so many countries that need food aids. ;,:,:
Best regards
http://www.foodsupplementdigest.com“>
March 26th, 2013 at 7:43 pm
We really need to provide some food aids in some of the most depressed regions of this planet…
Remember to inspect our favorite blog
http://www.caramoanpackage.com
June 30th, 2013 at 2:33 am
Everyone loves it when people get together and share views.
Great site, keep it up!
October 17th, 2013 at 7:57 am
Greetings from Colorado! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to
check out your site on my iphone during lunch break.
I really like the info you provide here and can’t wait
to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how fast your blog
loaded on my cell phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G ..
Anyhow, good site!
October 18th, 2013 at 4:46 pm
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate
your efforts and I will be waiting for your next
write ups thank you once again.
Here is my web site … mobile phone deals
January 7th, 2014 at 1:17 am
Very nice write-up. I absolutely appreciate this site. Keep it up!
My web-site – Susan Olsen Nude