Nice gift from Gates, but Africa mainly needs free trade
Bill and Melinda Gates are donating $300 million to help Third World farmers improve productivity. This is great. Too bad, however, that the developed nations have all but stalled attempts to cut trade barriers so the world's rich people can actually buy what the poor people grow, which would lift them from poverty. Three-hundred million will go a long way, but an agreement by the World Trade Organization to outlaw subsidies to developed-nation farmers and end agricultural import quotas would multiply the good a thousandfold.
Comments
300 million is a pretty big bandaid but it's just that. Yes, Africa needs free trade but what they also need are stable governments that don't descend into anarchy every couple of years. Even countries that seemed to be on the brink of modernity like Kenya can seemingly be pulled in anarchy at the drop of a hat. Remember when Zimbabwe was considered the bread-basket of Africa?
Posted by: bryanintimonium | January 25, 2008 11:55 AM
any chance you will do a follow up on the planned 46% pay increase O'Malley plans to give to the "consumer" friendly PSC. Hmmm can u say patronage
Posted by: 4 percent | January 25, 2008 1:37 PM