Economic and social de-structuring

18. Economic and social de-structuring stems both from bad economic policies and national and international political pressure (Cf. § Nos. 11-13 and 17). Here are a few of the most frequently found and most harmful examples of this:

a) National policies, which artificially lower agricultural commodity prices to the detriment of local food producers, under pressure from the deprived town dwellers who are seen as a potential threat to the political stability of the country. This situation became widespread in Africa during 1975-85 and caused local output to slump. Many countries with a substantial agricultural potential, such as Zaire and Zambia, became net food importers for the first time.

b) Most industrial countries pursue a policy which widely protects their own agriculture and encourages overproduction which is exported at prices lower than the domestic level (the price of dumping). Without such protection world prices would be higher, benefiting other producing countries. The beneficiaries of such protection in Europe are currently enjoying an unfair advantage after years of receiving production incentives which have led to serious de-structuring of the whole agricultural system. Although this policy is supported by local public opinion at large, it may be basically contrary to the general interest of world consumers, privileged and poorest alike. In protected countries, this is the expense of protection, in countries without such protection it is the local farmers who, as an essential component of the well being of any country, are penalised by importation at reduced prices thus lowering the domestic agriculture prices and speeding the demise of the local farmers and their migration to cities.

c) Traditional food crops are often threatened by poorly targeted economic development. For example, traditional commodities are being replaced by industrial agriculture for both export (large volumes of agricultural commodities are earmarked for export and are dependent upon international agricultural markets) and local substitute commodities (for example, sugar-cane in Brazil to produce alcohol for vehicle fuel, in order to reduce oil imports, has caused the migration of large numbers of uprooted peasants).