Hoard of Babylon
Ah, the brotherhood of man: “we hold these truths to be self-evident”; “liberté, egalité, fraternité“; “government of the people, by the people, and for the people”; “are you going to finish that?”
At least 29 countries have sharply curbed food exports in recent months, to ensure that their own people have enough to eat, at affordable prices.
When it comes to rice, India, Vietnam, China and 11 other countries have limited or banned exports. Fifteen countries, including Pakistan and Bolivia, have capped or halted wheat exports. More than a dozen have limited corn exports. Kazakhstan has restricted exports of sunflower seeds.
The restrictions are making it harder for impoverished importing countries to afford the food they need. The export limits are forcing some of the most vulnerable people, those who rely on relief agencies, to go hungry.
“It’s obvious that these export restrictions fuel the fire of price increases,” said Pascal Lamy, the director general of the World Trade Organization.
And by increasing perceptions of shortages, the restrictions have led to hoarding around the world, by farmers, traders and consumers.
Somewhere, buried deep in the article, we find ourselves, the West, to blame. We discouraged developing countries from growing their own food, I think the argument goes, by selling to them cheap. Then we jack up the prices, and close the spigot.
That’s cold, man. Sorry.
Joe O'Neill said,
June 30, 2008 @ 11:45 am
I have allways been of the opinion that aid ,(especially food aid) is a practice that helps the givers far more than those that receive it.I was allways taught that putting a price on something gives it value, by giving it away it has no value to the recipient.Whilst we ( free market capitalists) look aghast at those nations who are banning exports, it is refreshing to see that some countries look after the food needs of their own citizens.