Blog Post #14.

14. One way that developed countries 'help' the less fortunate nations of the world is by offering aid in the form of food. This approach to aid has been criticized by some as ineffective at best, and criminal at worst. Read through the material posted here, then answer the question: "What is food dumping, and how does it contribute to the cycle of poverty and dependence among the world's poorest people?" Also, offer a solution to the problem.

"Food dumping" is the term that refers to the developed nations who are aiding under developed countries with food aid. The local farmers in under developed nations are suffering from this aid due to the little demand for their products. This affects the farmers and their businesses which can plummet and affect the countries economy. This contributes to the cycle of poverty because the under developed countries that are dependent on the food aid, also cause problems for the developed nations. There are hundreds of impoverished countries around the world. This also creates a problem for the developed countries in terms of who they decide to distribute their food aid to. In my opinion, there are pros and cons to this issue. Although under developed countries are able to receive food aid and feed most of their citizens, there are more cons connected when weighing this issue on a larger scale. When the developed countries provide the aid, it does not motivate the under developed countries to plan a way to provide for themselves. In my opinion, instead of the developed countries simply shipping food, they should send in representatives who can aid these countries in creating their own plan of action in solving the issue of poverty. These representatives can aid in terms of agricultural and economical needs. I believe that this would be a cheaper and more effective solution than food dumping.