The Pros And Cons Of Cutting Foreign Aid

Improved Essays
By 2050, the world’s population will reach 9 billion. The first question coming into people’s mind is where can we fit all these people? However, the most important question should be, how are we going to feed all these people? While other regions have reached the limits of agricultural yield per hectare land, 60 percent of Earth’s uncultivated land is located in Africa. Not only that, but Africa’s resources such as coal, oil, and gas are in demand and the majority of the developed world has taken notice, one of which happens to be China. China has prepared for its future by securing agricultural land in Africa to feed its people. In the past, we have given direct foreign aid to the African continent, rather than directly invest in it. …show more content…
With that in mind, we must do what the Chinese are doing except better. Export American made materials to help build the African infrastructure to have a successful agricultural land to cultivate food. Exporting American materials will also help American businesses, thus increasing American …show more content…
Cutting Foreign Aid

For every dollar that least developed nations receive, $ 8 are sent back as debt payment. Meaning, foreign aid is futile to some extent. Furthermore, when foreign aid is given to a LDC, we do not know where the money is going. It could go to a corrupt government, warlords, etc. Directly investing is the way to go, since it helps us keep track of where our money is going, how it is spent, and in return, we see positive gains for both sides. Of all FDI going into least developed nations, Africa alone took in 12 percent. This insinuates that foreigners, specifically corporations, have taken notice of the African markets and we, America should do the same should we wish to see and enjoy economic prosperity.

Authorization of Appropriations China’s FDI has in Africa has grown by 53%, while the US stayed at 14%. This past summer, President Obama met with African leaders in Washington, to discuss increasing FDI, and announced $14 billion will come from American businesses; $14 billion in FDI will not do. While China had $210 billion in bilateral trade with Africa, US had only $85 billion. Not only does the US need to increase FDI, it also needs to increase bilateral trade with Africa to see more

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    It is not helping Africa to become more independent because it isn’t providing them with the infrastructure they need to be successful on their own. If the U.S. sent money then Africans would be able to eventually support themselves. A third thing I found important in this book was the lack of irrigation because Africa has water but they do not have the tools to get the water to where they need it. This somewhat connects back to the idea of food-aid.…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The intense famines in Africa are the result of many interwoven factors, but is the final straw the lack of water? It seems that the areas that can grow crops are over-farmed, and without heat-resistant seeds and irrigation the crops that do survive are not enough. Multiple years of crop failure are the foreshadowing of famine, pulling thousands already living in poverty into the cycle of famine, illness and death. Corrupt governments misuse donated funds to support military and other ventures, keeping the growing population in poverty. Many countries even rely on foreign food donations to support their people.…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Alleviating poverty is in the interest of most governments, but thriving financially seems out of reach or next to impossible to achieve by some countries. Countries that are considered first world countries today, like The U.S and China, have faced times where poverty was a major issue and economies were not creating either money or jobs, however they were able to stop the declining of their country. Why? Sachs suggests that every country has the ability to compete and become successful in the global economy, but there is no definite common method all countries can use to thrive. Sachs makes it apparent to the reader that solutions to the success of a country have to be used at the right time and, most of all, in the right country.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    South Africa Dbq Analysis

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I believe Africa has potential but very minimal potential to exceed. The world is advancing at an exponential rate and continually growing, while Africa is at the beginning of minimal growth. For what the future holds, Africa does not have a bright future. As we grow and develop, we tend to look back at Africa and feel the need to help. As the greatest country in the world, there is no issue with that.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    "Foreign Aid Corrupts So Development without Aid is the Only Sustainable Way to Develop" Foreign Aid is money or resources that a given country voluntarily transfers to another country. This can be in the form of a loan, grant or gifts. The Aid serves as assistance to developing economies from developed ones to boost growth, improve democracy and/or strengthen military ally amongst other courses. Over the years, Africa and other developing countries have received millions of dollars to improve their economies. However, several researchers have argued that the AID has not been put to effective use as several leaders have become more and increasingly corrupt.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Global Farms Book Report

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Global Farms Race highlights information on how the world is right now, how they are doing with food. It illustrates the goal behind investors, capitals and the business for land in different nations. In the book it quotes the former IFPRI director, " A New Phase of the World Food Crisis". Ever since 2008 it is seen that there are rising food prices, food riots and food export bans. Also global food catastrophe inflames continuing food insecurity fueled by the farmland displacing urbanization, water shortages and wheat destroying disease.…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For example, according to World Bank Rankings, Mauritius, a country in Africa, ranks as the 20th best place in the world to do business. Overall, Africa is climbing the world rankings as a continent. With the same ranking systems, the countries in Africa rank on average at 101st in the world on doing business. Even though Africa is slowly rising on economic terms, they are still trying to fix other major problems: lack of education, HIV/AIDS, and gender equality. With effort and help from other countries, Africa is capable of coming back from these problems just like it is trying to do with its economic situation.…

    • 1103 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nations are not the only entities capable of providing aid, and much of the individual work done in foreign countries comes from the private sector of society. Military aid will almost always require a government presence, but smaller expeditions, such as volunteers sent to teach, or distribute medicine, or provide service, act independently from the government. These organizations often provide a large amount of disaster relief as well, collecting and distributing donations of food, clean water, toiletries, clothing, and various other supplies for people who have lost everything. The focus of these groups fall more on the people within the countries; there are organizations dedicated to assisting the impoverished –such as CARE or the Catholic Relief Service, to providing medical care to those “endangered by war, civil strife, epidemics or natural disasters,” as seen in the…

    • 1150 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Of the 22 nations who made the 0.7 percent commitment to help end poverty, the United States, gives the smallest percent. Of those who took the Kaiser poll, 56% thought we over spent on foreign aid based on their own guess, once they were given the correct numbers, only 28%, still believed we over spend (Rutsch). In reality, “foreign aid is an insignificant part of the federal budget and is not worth sacrificing if America wishes to retain its image of benevolence and moral certitude” (Sterns). America does not have the best reputation in the world community as great humanitarians, so surely “at a time when our politicians are considering how to cut as much as $1,500 billion from the federal budget we shouldn't try to cut the $16 billion we spend annually to assist the victims of malaria, famine, or natural disasters.”…

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Foreign aid is not a new concept to American people. For generations there has been programs set in place to help impoverished nations struggling to survive and industrialize. Money and supplies is continuously poured into countries such as Africa, with varying effects. Article after article has been published in substantial newspapers and magazines encouraging the donation and help of everyone, but should the people respond? Have these countries become dependent on foreign aid, or is it pulling them out of a debilitating slump?…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A lot of Africa’s nations have borrowed money, which puts them in debt. Most of the time the borrowed money is used to by weapons or funding costly projects that doesn’t benefit the people. For example, the Aswan High Dam was a setback for Africa. This dam was built in the hopes of modernizing Egypt and Sudan. As stated by realclimate.org, “The dam actually stopped the flow of the Nile including the natural fertilizer and organic material the river supplied.”…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is immoral for the US and EU to promote regulations and funding restrictions on African markets without understanding the various countries conditions and needs. A majority of the countries farming system is based on small farmers who are poor. To impose regulations that will double the cost of seeds and fertilizer is wrong. Farmers are already selling goods at a lesser value because the need to pay bills. Instead of imposing regulations and restrictions the global community need to focus on how to help Africa such as improving soil quality.…

    • 231 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Jane Goodall Warns of Chinese Threat to Africa Few people on the planet understand the ecosystem of Africa like Jane Goodall. The 80-year-old primatologist, ethologist, and anthropologist is best known for her work with chimpanzees in Tanzania. The former Dutch Baroness saw first hand what the colonial powers did to the African wildlife habitats. She spent the better part of her life fighting for those who did not have a voice to fight for themselves. Now, Goodall sees a resurgence of colonialesque destruction sweeping over the African continent.…

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Apart from voluntary efforts by NGOs, individual companies, inter-government agencies and multi-stakeholders have initiated efforts towards monitoring and reporting, codes of conduct and social reporting indexes vied towards monitoring corporate activities. " In 2005, the UN secretary-General appointed Professor John Ruggie as his special Representative on business and human rights” (Australian Human Right Commission. n.d). Some of his responsibilities were "identify and clarify standards of corporate responsibility and accountability for transnational corporations and other enterprises with regards to human right" (Australian Human Right Commission. n.d).…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Impacts and benefits of the 2015 Extension and Enhancement Act Introduction Thesis: The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expired in September 2015. The United States and African leaders explored the ways to improve the 14-year old legislation to make it more well-suited with the changing economic landscape in Africa. AGOA provides about 6,500 African products with preferential quota and duty-free access to the US market.…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays