The Effects of Cash Crops on Ecology, Economy and Dependence
Cash crops are crops most often grown for export and monetary gain rather than local
consumption. Regional concentration on them rather than crops necessary for local
nutrition and other local uses dates back to the time of colonialism. The colonial powers, in
their search for riches, entered into resource-filled lands and overhauled their agriculture
system. Old, traditional ways of agriculture, those which allowed survival without external
trade, were uprooted to make way for new crops and new cropping systems. Along with the
changes in agriculture, the colonists brought new animal and plant species which, with no
local natural predators, killed off the old ones. In response to fast population-growth, they
also produced unsustainable irrigation systems which caused erosion, amongst other things.
Subsistence farming was pushed aside in the face of monetary gain from the export of these
cash crops. Cash cropping, which began in colonial period, is still a very present part of
farming societies worldwide. While it may aid in economic growth, the monoculture
farming involved has affected the environment and created economies vulnerable to
fluctuations within a single industry. It also raises global interdependency as land is used
for cash-crops rather than food and countries cease to be self-sufficient in that vital
industry, eroding national sovereignty.
Cash cropping varies from country to country, depending on the needs of the farmers,
the international demand and the climate. Most often cash cropping farmers employ monocropping – the production of a single crop on a piece of land. The aim is strictly monetary,
on the opposite extreme from subsistence-farming, which feeds the farmer and his family.
While on small scales this is ordinary business-practice and economic engagement, the
trouble mentioned above arises when large regions or entire countries build their
economies around the production of such crops on large scales. The focus on monoculture
can negatively affect the nourishment of a family or the families employing it. If the
weather is sporadic and the crops are faulty, the livelihoods of the producers are in
jeopardy. A well known example is of fragility of monoculture farming is the Irish potato
famine in the mid 1800’s. Irish farmers devoted a large part of their land to the potato,
which failed and led to one of the most widespread starvations in modern history. In
addition, while the middle-class and poor people suffered from lack of sustenance and
resources, there was export of animals, crops and staple products on the boat to wealthy
England. The situation is actually worse than that: Natural conditions are not the only ones
that can lead to a mass-failure of cash-crops. Changing demand can too. For example, in
1975 the US bought $100 million worth of sugar from Brazil, and the following year bought
none as European farmers were more competitive. The crops could be grown, but without a
buyer that was mostly meaningless.
As mentioned, cash cropping is often considered a clear way to make money. The
markets [for the most part] are regulated for staple products, and North American and
European countries depend on products produced in warmer climates. Yet, there are times
when the market drops and farmers who devote their land and resources into the
production of a single crop have had to resort to other forms of work in order to survive.
Unfortunately, it is economically and emotionally straining to have to rely on continuously
evolving markets, weather patterns and international needs.
The environment is often neglected when trying to produce crops in a quick fashion.
Waterways are used and abused through pollution and water exhaustion. Animals suffer as
lands are destroyed to make room for industries and resource exportation. As well, there
are major multinational companies that have a monopoly over seed production. Companies
like Monsanto, Dow and Cargill which produce GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) and
agricultural chemicals tend to take advantage of the farmers and the environment. A clear
example is the “terminator seed”, a seed that does produce a reproductive grain. The
farmers must continue to buy the grain year after year. In those cases, the selfdetermination of a country or region may be lost not to another country, but to corporate
interests and policies. For example, transnational corporations today control 85% of the
world’s cocoa, 85-90% of the world’s tobacco, 85% of the tea, 85-90% of coffee, 60% of
sugar, 85-90% of cotton, 85-90% of jute & 90% of the forest products.
In addition, agriculture in underdeveloped countries is an extremely labour-intensive
industry. More than 2/3 of the population of developing countries in the South derives its
livelihood from agriculture, either as farmers, laborers or, indirectly, dependants of these
groups. Where wages and numbers of workers dominate production-costs and the entire
region depends upon competitive pricing on the international market, labour-standards
suffer.
Dependency between developed and developing countries date back to colonialism, but
it has not faltered over the years. While fostering interdependency is often seen as a means
to prevent war, if the dependence runs only one way due to a buyer’s or seller’s market, it
can lead to something resembling conquest without war. As matters stand now, there are
buyers’ markets where the buyers are developed economies and the sellers are poorer,
giving the developed world great leverage over some underdeveloped regions, but also
interests in those regions’ stability. In total, this dependency can be seen as a positive or a
negative, depending on the standpoint.
Questions to Consider:
1- Who are my country’s allies and enemies?
2 – Who does my country trade with?
3 – Does or did my country depend upon cash cropping? Or is it a prominent issue in an
enemy country?
4 - What can be done to change people’s attitude towards cash cropping?
5 - Do you consider the cash cropping solely a domestic issue or an international issue as
well?
8 – What can the international community do about ensuring environmental
sustainability?
9. How can the international community promote decreased dependence?
11. How can governments ensure farmers are not being taken advantage of while
maintaining their economies?
Delegates please remember, when answering and debating these questions, you must
present the opinion of the country you represent. Nobody cares about the position of
the delegate, only that of the country or government represented. There is no “I” in the
United Nations, but there is “The people of __________”, “The government of ____”,
“The state of ____”, etc.
Useful Websites:
http://www.globalissues.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_crop
http://www.cropsreview.com/cash-crop-farming.html
http://www.monsanto.ca or http://www.monsanto.com
www.dow.com or www.dow.com/canada/
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/General/ThirdWorld_def.html
www.un.org
https://www.cia.gov
Also look to see if your country’s national government has an official website in a
language you can read.