OXFAMs Global Reach :: Essays Papers

OXFAMs Global ReachConsequences of the New parsimony was the theme for St. Olaf Colleges Globalization and Social Responsibility conference. The conference explored the social and sparing effects of the globalization of capitalism. One of the speakers for this event was Raymond Offenheiser, a leader in international development and philanthropy, and president of OXFAM America. OXFAM America, an international nonprofit agency, is recognized for its homo rights and national public education program on issues of hunger and injury throughout the world. Offenheisers lecture, OXFAMs Global Reach , addressed the increasing interdependence in global markets and its effects on agriculture, java, and fair cover. World trade has the voltage to reduce poverty, if poor people could transfer their products at a conjectural price. However, the injustices of the world trade system ar stopping them. Unfair trade agreements and agricultural subsides hinder efforts to reduce poverty in poor c ountries. In particular, farm and trade policies in the United States and the European Union are creating adversities for family farmers worldwide. The worlds wealthy countries provide a substantial amount of money to confirm agriculture, enabling corporate and large-scale farmers in these countries to grow more than is needed. The entryway is dumped on international markets, where it is sold for less than it costs to grow. This cast away drives imbibe prices and destroys the livelihood of farmers in countries that do not subsidize farmers and are squeeze to open their markets to foreign commodities. Unfair trade and farm policies that allow dumping are a major cause of poverty, since many poor communities entrust on agriculture as a major source of income. If farmers cant sell their crops for a fair price, they must leave their lands, their families, and migrate in inquisition of jobs. American cotton subsidies are a prime example of how US agriculture and trade policies wor sen poverty in Africa. These American subsides go greatly reduced world cotton prices, generating losses to African producers. Although western United States African cotton farmers are more efficient, low-cost producers they cannot compete with the US producers access to huge subsidies. Consequently, the cotton price crisis is contributing to the poverty for millions of African farmers. Unfortunately, farm and trade policies do not help most nice farmers in the United States either. Low world prices are quickly forcing US family farmers out of business, while large-scale, corporate agriculture benefits from government payments. The global coffee crisis is also creating hardships for families around the world.