Free Trade, Loss of Support Systems Crippling Food Production in Africa

Free trade and privatization, two hallmarks of development strategy in the last few decades, have not produced the intended benefits in developing countries. In fact, these policies increased poverty and decreased food production, exacerbating food shortages in the developing world like the one in 2008, according to a multi-university study. The problem is that free trade is not really free and certainly not fair because small farmers in developing countries are unable to compete on a level playing field with subsidized agribusiness in the developed world. Small farmers lack the education and resources to match the efficiency of developed world agriculture and are handicapped by corrupt governments. Researchers conclude that there is no easy answer, although they support tariff barriers, subsidies, and crop diversity, among other measures. But if a market has already been opened, erecting new barriers may be even more difficult to enact. – YaleGlobal