The fallacies behind trade liberalisation of agricultural products: a dilemma of Sub-Sahara African countries (SSA)

Abstract

Policies that make an economy open to trade and investment with rest of the world are needed for sustained economic growth. The evidence on this is clear. No country in recent decades has achieved economic success, in terms of substantial increases in living standards for its people, without being open to the rest of the world. Hoever, the economic dependence of sub-saharan countries has jeopardized their economic growth; At the time of decolonization in the 1960, Sub-sahara Africa was not just self sufficient in food but net food exporter while today, the contient imports nearly half of its food;hunger and famine have become recurrent phenomena. This is because developed nations take advantages of this neo-liberal free trade, by creation conditions that allow pillaging and flowing of resources from developing countries to industrialized natons. The SSA did not get benefit of trade liberalization; instead it has adversely affected by unfair trade practices, like inadmissible subsidies and dumping. This study intend to put light on fallacies and unfair trade practiced under the cover of this neo-free trade ideology, which is detrimental to the economic growth of sub0sahara countries.