Think about it strongly

The increasing world food crisis, according some people is a blessing to the third world countries.

This argument is supported by the fact that many of the people in the third world countries depend on agriculture for their livelihood, therefore can capitalize on it to boost their economies. That, third world countries have a better hand in producing food than the developed world. And that the developed world is concentrating on industrialization and ignoring agriculture.

The proponents of these arguments believe that the world is a free market economy. The forces of demand and supply determine the prizes for goods and services. If the third world has a better advantage on food production, it can benefit more. This argument is weak and fallacious.

In this article, am attempting to examine the current food crisis in the third world countries and analyzing whether it will really benefit them.

Firstly, this is the only opportune time for the third world countries to penetrate the international market by producing massively to meet the demand for food. Unfortunately, they can not! Third world countries’ economies are based on substance agriculture and do not have the capacity to meet the demand. Secondly, the international market still considers third world goods sub-standard.

The hope that, the peasant farmers in the third world could gain access to the international market creates a false feeling. Let us look critically at the peasant farmer in the third world country! This guy can not meet the basics of life. He has low income. He can not save. He can not invest. He does not know his basic rights. His political leaders and government exploit him. He is still using rudimentary tools for production. He does not have basic skills of management because of low education. This is the guy to take advantage of the international market? Surely not!

We might be attempted to believe that third world countries are assisting communities take advantage of the escalating food crisis, but alas. The governments have looked the other side. No clear policies on fighting poverty, no incentives to facilitate massive production etc. Governments have become effective in defending themselves from political opposition. It is no longer strange to hear that a farmer in the third world country can not meet the basic needs because their governments are not supporting them.

These challenges completely, leaves no hope for the farmer in the third world, not even if he tries, to take advantage of making a fortune out of the escalating food crisis. He remains in the predicament, unfortunately out of no choice.


Now, am going to say something and expect a thorough beating. Third world countries are facing some of these challenges not because of their weaknesses but a combination of several external factors.

The third world countries can not gain fair access to the international markets with all the international trade restrictions still in balance. Yes! Remove all the international trade barriers and then talk of multilateral and bilateral relations. This is not a conditionality but a reality.

The third world countries will never benefit from international trade with a heavy back log of debts, experts siphoning the little resources in the disguise of technical support, corrupt third world leaders being given a green light to bank stolen money in foreign accounts.

These and many other factors are the most disgusting and disturbing affecting food crisis and development in the third world.

Relationship between the third and developed world can be made genuine if talk of common interests and not our own interests is the agenda.

In respect
until then, guys!