Cotton, sugar and groundnuts - a political economy of credibility

While Western countries are advocating free trade and open markets in the South, they have maintained high levels of protection and provided huge subsidies to their own farmers, thereby encouraging over-production of agricultural products. This in turn has been depressing commodity prices, weakening fragile economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, and aggravating poverty. From the perspective of farmers and peasants in Africa, there is little difference in the impact of US and EU agricultural subsidies. Unless policymakers in the West understand the urgency of helping to improve the welfare of people in the developing world, especially those who rely on commodities for their livelihood, the entire planet will have to pay the consequences of inaction.