Our latest news round up profiles one on the most inconsistent development policies currently out there - the long-running practice by the US government of providing aid relief in the form of subsidized grain bought from its own farmers. As reported in the New York Times, CARE, one of the world's largest charities, has just announced its decision to phase out its involvement, arguing that:
American food aid is not only plagued with inefficiencies, but also may hurt some of the very poor people it aims to help...[by competing] with the crops of struggling local farmers.
In taking this stand, CARE is breaking not only from its own past, but also from the general practice among similar agencies.
As we argued in a recently-issued statement, the real solution is far more complex: better access for farmers to markets and capital, appropriate technologies, farm inputs, diversified crop and animal portfolios, secure land tenure, adequate irrigation, the infrastructure and capacity building they need to connect to local, regional and international markets and supply chains, and better information on the current and future levels of demand for their crops.
We have also argued for a fairer world trading system. This includes ending market-distorting subsidies by the US (and EU) on the products that matter most to African farmers. Supporting farmers in a way that fundamentally damages their long term prospects, and is rooted in a problematic trade arrangement, is flawed. By standing up to its peers, CARE has brought this practice out into the open. And for that it should be congratulated.
To learn more about this author, visit Zahid Torres-Rahman's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
 A SHORT PUBLIC RELATIONS CASE STUDY: LOSERS ALL ROUND
|
| |
How a charity deprived itself of free publicity and the opportunity to propagate its merssage.
|
|
Go Where the Money Is
|
| |
Fifteen years ago Howard Shenson, editor of The Professional Consultant, spoke at the CAFP Conference in Vancouver. In a session on fee-based planning someone asked about planning on a charitable basis for some pros...
|
|
Cold Call Clues
|
| |
I know. I know. You hate the whole idea of cold calling. You imagine the impersonal rejections, and the many times your dinner's been interrupted by a phone solicitation.
|
|
Lesson #2: Pursuing the Common Good is Good for Business
|
| |
 “I had such a string of good fortune in my life,” says Newman. “Those who are most lucky should hold their hands out to those who aren’t.”
|
|
Choose Pixel Advertising Sites Wisely, and Know Who All Profits
|
| |
A new form of Internet advertising has exploded and it is receiving a lot of response lately - pixel advertising. Essentially, it is where people purchase a set of pixels on the homepage of a Web site, inserting the...
|
|
|
|
