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I was reading about how the EU makes it difficult for African farmers and agriculture to thrive due to cheaper imports of food from parts of Europe that could be grown in African countries. Can somebody explain how this works and why African countries cannot set up a thriving agriculture industry and export their own food to European countries, rather than the other way round?
I was reading about how the EU makes it difficult for African farmers and agriculture to thrive due to cheaper imports of food from parts of Europe that could be grown in African countries. Can somebody explain how this works and why African countries cannot set up a thriving agriculture industry and export their own food to European countries, rather than the other way round?
Quite clearly African nations do export a lot of food to Europe. Bananas and other tropical fruits are not grown in Europe.
But as for food like grains, why would Europeans import large numbers of grains from Africa when they can grow them in Europe?
The Mediterranean has a lot of citrus trees. So there's no reason for them to import oranges or other citrus.
For economic and environmental reasons, it's better to grow foods that can be grown closer to home closer to home.
The biggest issue with agriculture from developed countries (not just from the European Union) is that its often heavily subsidized by the governments. This creates a production surplus of many agricultural products, which is great for those developed nations because it helps them cover their food demands.
The problem arises with all the extra production that has no way of being absorbed by those markets and is often dumped on the international market. This is where developing countries are affected, because the greatest economic potential in most of these countries is agricultural. The excess from developed countries often deflate the prices of many foods, which in effect makes it hard for many developing countries to reap the greatest economic benefits.
On top of this, the international price of many foods falls below the minimum price many of the same foods produced in developing countries, which makes it the developed countries agricultural excess much more economically attractive in the international market.
This is a very simplified and short version of what's going on to give a rough idea.
In short EU farmers as well as those from the US ancd Brazil for example receive vast subsidies to produce agri good. Africans don't. This is how, for example Brazilian or US chicken on the shelf here in South Africa is cheaper than the locally produced product.
I was reading about how the EU makes it difficult for African farmers and agriculture to thrive due to cheaper imports of food from parts of Europe that could be grown in African countries. Can somebody explain how this works and why African countries cannot set up a thriving agriculture industry and export their own food to European countries, rather than the other way round?
First you should post the link to this story. Next, understand that no African country has the robust and stable infrastructure it takes to set up profitable exports to European countries that can propel them to 1st world status. Anything of profit in Africa either gets sold to politicians or elites where they keep the money, sold to rebels where they keep the money, or sabotaged by rebels who are mad they can’t make money off it. Or that the government isn’t giving it to its citizens. The money from oil in Ghana doesn’t even make it down to its citizens.
These countries have corruption, greed, and self-sabotage at every level which will no doubt prevent them from ever being a 1st world country for the foreseeable future.
You can blame the EU all you want, they couldn’t care less.
First you should post the link to this story. Next, understand that no African country has the robust and stable infrastructure it takes to set up profitable exports to European countries that can propel them to 1st world status. Anything of profit in Africa either gets sold to politicians or elites where they keep the money, sold to rebels where they keep the money, or sabotaged by rebels who are mad they can’t make money off it. Or that the government isn’t giving it to its citizens. The money from oil in Ghana doesn’t even make it down to its citizens.
These countries have corruption, greed, and self-sabotage at every level which will no doubt prevent them from ever being a 1st world country for the foreseeable future.
You can blame the EU all you want, they couldn’t care less.
Oh, lots of things from Africa are sold in Europe. Cacao (used to make chocolate), rubber, bananas, cotton, and a host of other tropical agricultural and mineral resources.
And of course the elites and the government keep the profits.
The biggest issue with agriculture from developed countries (not just from the European Union) is that its often heavily subsidized by the governments. This creates a production surplus of many agricultural products, which is great for those developed nations because it helps them cover their food demands.
The problem arises with all the extra production that has no way of being absorbed by those markets and is often dumped on the international market. This is where developing countries are affected, because the greatest economic potential in most of these countries is agricultural. The excess from developed countries often deflate the prices of many foods, which in effect makes it hard for many developing countries to reap the greatest economic benefits.
On top of this, the international price of many foods falls below the minimum price many of the same foods produced in developing countries, which makes it the developed countries agricultural excess much more economically attractive in the international market.
This is a very simplified and short version of what's going on to give a rough idea.
Or essentially the Western nations have produced an agricultural system that ensures there is no famine. If we left it up to the developing nations we'd put ourselves at major risk of famine.
Which has been known to strike the developing world from time to time, depending on the country.
Or essentially the Western nations have produced an agricultural system that ensures there is no famine.
Which has been known to strike the developing world from time to time, depending on the country.
One thing is ensuring food security at home another thing is practising economical dumping via heavy subsidies, which in the end actually causes developing countries to be forced to buy foods from Europe destroying any chance of developing an advanced agricultural system in said countries.
It's a form of protectionism which benefits those countries that have always benefited throughout history - nothing new.
This obviously doesn't mean a corrupt Africa doesn't need to do the work to create a secure & regulated agricultural industry but the international trade environment doesn't give them a chance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NyWriterdude
If we left it up to the developing nations we'd put ourselves at major risk of famine.
I'm calling out false equivalence. Banishing or significantly reducing subsidies (at least for international trade - domestically do what you want) doesn't mean stretching to the other extreme and "relying on developing nations for food". Ridiculous statement.
Also Africa may be more fragile but no country in South America has ever experienced famine, that continent is just way too fertile with possibilities of up-to 2, 3 or even more harvests a year. South America has more than shown its capable of being the worlds food basket and if Africa was given a remote chance it could also develop its agricultural industries to the same standards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocko20
First you should post the link to this story. Next, understand that no African country has the robust and stable infrastructure it takes to set up profitable exports to European countries that can propel them to 1st world status.
False equivalence yet again. One thing doesn't have to do with the other, the aim may not even be 1st world status but at least have a fair open market whereby Africa's agro-industries can have a chance and aren't practically forced to buy EU produce due to protectionist practices and economic dumping.
False equivalence yet again. One thing doesn't have to do with the other, the aim may not even be 1st world status but at least have a fair open market whereby Africa's agro-industries can have a chance and aren't practically forced to buy EU produce due to protectionist practices and economic dumping.
Non-Sequitur yet again. The EU will have a fair open market as soon as African countries prove they're worth investing into. And Africa will prove they're worth investing into when they actually give some of those EU investments to the people of Africa and not just hoard it for themselves at the elite and political level.
You continue to believe countries outside of Africa care one bit about Africa, they don't, and never will.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NyWriterdude
Oh, lots of things from Africa are sold in Europe. Cacao (used to make chocolate), rubber, bananas, cotton, and a host of other tropical agricultural and mineral resources.
And of course the elites and the government keep the profits.
And of course the EU could careless.
Then you understand that Africa is on its own and that their exports, as it is currently, are largely insufficient to propel it into 1st world status.
Until their income doesn't get squandered on government corruption and civil wars, and actually goes to the people and infrastructure of Africa, why should the EU care about Africa problems again?
Non-Sequitur yet again. The EU will have a fair open market as soon as African countries prove they're worth investing into.
You really don't get it and obviously have little concept of economics - maybe do a summer course or something. The EU aren't the masters or gatekeepers of international trade. They don't "give" a fair open market, a fair open market should exist verbatim, it's what the EU preach after all. They also aren't the only possible investors, India, China, Japan even Brazil are investors in Africa and can help develop various economic sectors including Agra-industries.
There are a handful of decent governments in Africa such as Botswana and Zambia that can have at least a chance to lead by example if this protectionist policy wasn't applied by the EU. Africa isn't the only continent affected by this by the way, the whole world is.
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