standup.comboniyouth.org.uk

The free trade enforced by the Washington consensus flows in one direction. The poor must open their markets to Western corporations, but the favour is rarely returned. The Island of Negros in the Philippines is wholly dependent on exporting sugar. In 1985the US slashed its sugar imports overnight; widespread famine resulted in Negros. That was but one of the truly dreadful U.S. sugar program, to enforce strict import quotas that raise costs and keep Third World cane farmers poor.

Likewise, Europe's sugar bowl runs over. Unable to consume all it produces, Europe dumps excess sugar on the world market, thus undercutting Third World farmers. The EU needs to change its policy on sugar beet, which is impoverishing third world farmers and landing the consumer with high prices.

A campaign backed by AEJPN goes on to stop subsidising European and US farmers to dump their surpluses in Africa. Scrap or greatly reduce taxes and tariffs on African goods. Abolition of sugar, and other, subsidies would bring prices down; give money back to the taxpayer while giving developing countries a huge economic boost. The losers would be a few farmers growing a hopelessly uneconomic crop financed completely by taxpayers and consumers. One of the biggest gainers from abolition would be the EU itself. The Common Agriculture Policy still devours almost half of the entire EU budget (€ 99bn). Africa is confronted by shameful trade barriers that tax its goods and as they enter the markets of the rich world. These must be dismantled. Rich countries must also scrap the $350bn a year they spend subsidising agri-business to undercut the wages of poor African farmers. Subsidies on sugar must end immediately. Just a spoonful of Fair-trade sugar makes the world a fairer place.