Dead Children Linked to Aid Policy in Africa Favoring Americans

This very interesting article from Bloomberg.com discusses a widely unknown issue within U.S. food aid to the developing world.



This is unfortunately an issue that most are not aware of. The full article goes into greater depth but the time spent reading it is well worth it. I'd recommend you all do so, though I've tried to provide a good snapshot here.

I understand the economic reasons for monopolizing the sale of these goods, but the cost of doing so would surely seem too great...right? I suppose this is just another instance of finance taking precedence over morality.

Great find with a good source and everything!
Starred and Flagged.

It is this kind of stuff that makes me ashamed to be human.
Makes me wanna quit this crap and go away to somewhere...

I get so sick of America being the bad guy in EVERY situation. I think it is perfectly reasonable to favor American famers and shipping companies, in fact I think we should have MORE laws that favor American companies that employee domestic U.S. employees far more often!

Where is the rest of the world in all of this huh? Why is it always Americans that get bashed? Do you think other countries don't have plenty of laws that favor their OWN industries over foreign interests? Sure they do! And they are smart enough NOT to apologize for it!

Oh it is ok the feed the world while we have people in the USA who are staving too. The USA is to feed everyone and be happy about it right. Well I think until we feed the staving here in the USA the rest of the world needs to worry about their own. I think each country needs to look to themselves before they start pointing the finger. The USA does more by far and instead of thank you we get blamed for being the bad guy. Please people wake up USA is not the bad guy.

This is horrifying. This should be a world aid effort, not in the hands of the wolves, who are doing something so the public thinks its being done, but really blocking the quick delivery of the goods. In reality, we need to be living in a world, where all things are equalized. Norway everywhere, or the Venus Project. I refuse to tolerate this any longer. We must begin locally in our towns and show everyone every film, get petitions signed, go door to door, start local papers, do everything to get people out of this nightmare. We also, must let our leaders know, they stand alone. What they've done for countless years, they alone own, we reject it.

Originally posted by Sonya610
I get so sick of America being the bad guy in EVERY situation. I think it is perfectly reasonable to favor American famers and shipping companies, in fact I think we should have MORE laws that favor American companies that employee domestic U.S. employees far more often!

I assume you mean this in regard to the issue at hand (aid to the developing world). Allowing American corporations to usurp the bulk of power in product distribution here is exactly what should be done, even if a few million people starve to death because of the delay it causes? Really? I've seen your other posts here and I'm having a hard time believing that you would, upon honest reflection, hold such an brutish view of things.

Where is the rest of the world in all of this huh? Why is it always Americans that get bashed? Do you think other countries don't have plenty of laws that favor their OWN industries over foreign interests? Sure they do! And they are smart enough NOT to apologize for it!

This is not about the issue of general economic policies. This is not about the broader scope of any nation's policy of favoritism toward its own industries--a very common and helpful standard of practice in many countries. A separate issue from general industry, this is about FOOD AID being stymied by this behavior (behavior that ought to be kept out of aid projects)--the subjects of food aid being denied rations because corporations want as much of the pie as they can get their hands on. Do you not see the moral objections someone might feel about this? With regards to the focus on America's role in this, you'll find a potent explanation if you bother to read the article. America is the focus here because of its uniquely detrimental aid policies. I understand that it is more comfortable to immediately stomp your feet and pout at the mention of American failings, but reading the article would have cleared up that issue. This isn't an instance of "Something's wrong here. It must be those damn Americans!". This is only an article discussing the fact that U.S. food aid policies differ from other noted providers, and that these differences are contributing to the deaths of aid subjects. They aren't blaming America just because it's convenient or fun.

Originally posted by silverflame
Oh it is ok the feed the world while we have people in the USA who are staving too. The USA is to feed everyone and be happy about it right. Well I think until we feed the staving here in the USA the rest of the world needs to worry about their own. I think each country needs to look to themselves before they start pointing the finger. The USA does more by far and instead of thank you we get blamed for being the bad guy. Please people wake up USA is not the bad guy.

You're missing the issue here. This isn't about whether or not America should be providing aid to foreign countries. This is an issue of whether or not the current aid policies are causing harm to the subjects of aid and if so, whether or not it is justifiable.

Originally posted by paperplanes
You're missing the issue here. This isn't about whether or not America should be providing aid to foreign countries. This is an issue of whether or not the current aid policies are causing harm to the subjects of aid and if so, whether or not it is justifiable.

Well I still think that the USA needs to take care of the hungry people here. We can change the laws and make foreign aid policies better, but does that make it any better. I am sorry for these other countries, but when there is something like this it makes me sick. The USA steps up to feed them and can't even feed the people here. We can change laws all we want, but it still does not feed the people in the USA. It will just help all the other countries get their food faster.

Originally posted by paperplanes
I assume you mean this in regard to the issue at hand (aid to the developing world). Allowing American corporations to usurp the bulk of power in product distribution here is exactly what should be done, even if a few million people starve to death because of the delay it causes? Really?

Well first of all thousands of children die EVERY DAY from starvation and related illnesses. There is a continual food shortage in many parts of the world, and kids continually die. If the food arrives a bit late that probably only changes WHO will survive, it is not as if they would ALL survive either way.

Originally posted by paperplanes
I've seen your other posts here and I'm having a hard time believing that you would, upon honest reflection, hold such an brutish view of things.

LOL…apparently the other posts you saw were probably involving animals or a metaphysical topic.

My views on some subjects are quite dark indeed. I see some problems, such as this, as being continual unless the problems can be fixed from within as well. Continually providing free food is what has caused a lot of these issues to begin with, such skyrocketing populations that cannot sustain themselves because they don’t know how or try. Foreign food donations have actually STOPPED the attempts at farming in many poor parts of Africa because local farmers cannot sell their crops when the market is flooded with free foreign aid. Some of the countries that are “starving” were in fact incredibly productive when under other rulers (Haiti, Zimbabwe, etc…). They have very serious problems and providing free food so their populations can continue to rise without becoming self-sufficient is NOT the answer.

USA destroys local economies of poor nations and then gives them the contaminated GM foods aid from monsanto like companies .

time to boycott american products globally

Originally posted by Sonya610
Well first of all thousands of children die EVERY DAY from starvation and related illnesses. There is a continual food shortage in many parts of the world, and kids continually die. If the food arrives a bit late that probably only changes WHO will survive, it is not as if they would ALL survive either way.

You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who isn't aware of the fact that people are dying every day due to food shortages. The issue here is whether or not the U.S. aid program is as efficient as it should be.

Continually providing free food is what has caused a lot of these issues to begin with, such skyrocketing populations that cannot sustain themselves because they don’t know how or try. Foreign food donations have actually STOPPED the attempts at farming in many poor parts of Africa because local farmers cannot sell their crops when the market is flooded with free foreign aid. Some of the countries that are “starving” were in fact incredibly productive when under other rulers (Haiti, Zimbabwe, etc…). They have very serious problems and providing free food so their populations can continue to rise without becoming self-sufficient is NOT the answer.

The primary problem is not farming or lack of, but rather the unbalanced economy in these developing countries. Contrary to popular belief, many African nations have enough money to sustain their populations. The trouble is that the money is dispensed for the private use of political leaders and their friends. In the last country I worked in (I participate in aid work), the president gave himself a twenty million dollar bonus and furnished a few private jets to his favorite businessmen--and all within my last week there. This is why such tight controls are needed for aid provision, especially if it is in monetary form (a greedy president won't care for a bag of peas or rice, after all). This is a habit among many of the leaders, but a subject for another thread.

Regarding the farming issue, mother nature is a foe that cannot be beaten by simple farming techniques or enhanced focus on agriculture. There are certainly areas where farming is possible but not pursued, but farming is impossible in many other regions. Most rural Africans living in once-fertile land DO know how to farm, as it is a survival skill in those areas, but once the land stops giving, there is no choice but to starve or pray that you somehow acquire food.

I am aware of the problem of food aid competing with local farmers. From what I have seen, however, this seems to be less of an issue than droughts, inefficiency in aid provision, and the economic policies of the particular country (

Originally posted by paperplanes
There are certainly areas where farming is possible but not pursued, but farming is impossible in many other regions. Most rural Africans living in once-fertile land DO know how to farm, as it is a survival skill in those areas, but once the land stops giving, there is no choice but to starve or pray that you somehow acquire food.

What is the plan then? Really? Other than sending more food and more medicine over to increase the ever growing yet non self-sustainable population? Not to mention the fact that the population is rapidly destroying every smidgen of wildlife they can find.

There isn’t really plan is there? Other than “send more aid” for now. If you work with these aid organizations can you tell us what the “long term strategy” is?

Originally posted by Sonya610
What is the plan then? Really? Other than sending more food and more medicine over to increase the ever growing yet non self-sustainable population? Not to mention the fact that the population is rapidly destroying every smidgen of wildlife they can find.

There isn’t really plan is there? Other than “send more aid” for now. If you work with these aid organizations can you tell us what the “long term strategy” is?

The aid organizations that I work for are involved in peacekeeping, educational and health resources rather than food distribution. We work to rehabilitate the basic schools and clinics where they exist, and build them where they do not. Rather than just "send more aid", most aid organizations in Africa have a policy of educating the populace and enforcing sustainability. This must be augmented by aid when a local economy is nonexistent, yes, but it is far from merely throwing money at the problem. This does slow the rate at which Africans are dying, but that is, after all, the goal. Should we stay out of it and let nature and warfare run its course on the continent? That is one way to look at things, but it is not the view I choose to take.

The Africans do not need to be reliant upon aid forever. The problem lies within the local governments and their lack of concern for their own citizens. As aid workers, we do not have much of a say in how the governments run. We need our own governments to get over there and essentially muscle the African leaders into doing their job and stopping the corruption, but that seems unlikely to ever happen (though apparently Obama is now attempting it with Sudan). What is happening now with Africa is not going to turn the continent into a spotless land. All of our efforts are to limit the damage that is being done and repair areas piece by piece. This is not a quick fix. If you know anything about Africa, you know that the continent cannot be repaired in the near future--there are simply too many problems in too many areas. Now, you may believe that because of the lack of a quick and neat solution, we ought to leave it be. I don't agree with you.

*You mention "the population is rapidly destroying every smidgen of wildlife they can find." You're oddly passionate about a land that you have no experience with. I wouldn't hesitate to call your words here an exaggeration, though there is admittedly a problem with human-animal conflict. Farmers in particular have issues with wildlife damaging the crops and farm animals. When they have not been educated about alternatives, killing the "interlopers" (as they're viewed) is the chosen solution. Part of educating the populations in these areas is educating them to manage these interactions in a nonlethal way. This is a very slow process, as each area must be educated, but there has been great success where this is done.

[edit on 10/12/08 by paperplanes]