With Flights Grounded, Kenya’s Produce Wilts

Farmers in the Rift Valley in Kenya have learned an important lesson in globalization in the last week, as a volcanic eruption in Iceland shut down air travel to Europe. At first, many Kenyans thought nothing of it. Then they realized that the flower and vegetables they sell to European markets could not be transported because of the shutdown. This transnational agriculture is a critical piece of the country's economy but now day laborers are out of work and getting anxious to know when they can resume their jobs. Farmers have been dumping produce and hoping the government will be able to help cover some of their losses. Whatever happens, Kenyans have learned an important lesson about the full implications of a global economy. Like a flash of lighting that shows the horizon in silhouette, the eruption of Icelandic volcano showed in a sharp relief the nature of today’s interconnected world. – YaleGlobal