Migration and Corn

[one...two...tree 2,762]

....

Although agriculture is less than 5% of Mexico’s gross domestic product, more than a quarter of Mexican’s still make their living as farmers. And most of the poorest of those farmers grow corn. Over 60% of Mexico’s cultivated land is planted with corn, most of which are small family plots. In all, 18 million Mexicans, including farmers and their families, rely on corn for their livelihood.

Enter NAFTA in 1994, which opened the U.S.-Mexico border to trade. It’s worth noting that before the wealthy nations in the European Union like France and German expanded trade with poorer nations like Portugal and Greece, the wealthier countries first transferred huge sums of money to the poorer nations, to build their infrastructure and help get them to the equal footing necessary for trade to work. Not so with Mexico. The United States (1990 GDP: $23,130 - a.k.a. Goliath) became “equal trading partners” with Mexico (1990 GDP: $6,090 - a.k.a. David).

On top of that, corn production in the United States is heavily subsidized. Under the farm bill, which is up for reauthorization this year, we taxpayers give over $25 billion each year mainly to large, industrial corporate farms. And the more corn the factory farms produce, the more money they make. That means there are big corporations with mounds of corn on their hands that they can sell for cheap because they’ve already made plenty off the subsidies. Cheap corporate corn floods the Mexican market, drowning local producers.

So what’s the result? Imported corn now dominates the Mexican market. For instance, in Mexico - the birthplace of corn - one-out-of-three tortillas is now made with imported maize. An estimated two million family farmers who can’t compete with subsidized U.S. corn have been driven from their land. They now have to buy imported corn to feed their families but don’t have the income to afford it. Meanwhile, American politicians following the instructions of corporate farm lobbyists start pushing ethanol. Even though the “alternative” fuel actually wastes more energy than it produces, it’s made from corn so agribusiness loves it. The new demand for corn drives up prices. And so the price of a tortilla in Mexico has risen 279% since NAFTA. The overall effect impacts not only farmers but all Mexicans, especially the poor. Since NAFTA, poverty in Mexico has increased. As of 2001, over 80% of people in rural Mexico were living in poverty.

So is it any wonder that as more and more U.S. corn flows to Mexico, more and more Mexicans cross the border to the U.S.? And corn is just the beginning. Migration around the world is the direct result of U.S. policies and actions. As immigrant rights leaders in England often chant, “We’re here because you were there.” Exactly.

Improving immigration policy in the United States is an important start and hopefully the legislation that comes out of Congress will be far kinder towards immigrants than the current draft. But in addition, American farmers and factory workers who have also been devastated by U.S. economic policies must join with immigrant rights leaders to repeal NAFTA and other disastrous trade agreements and remove bloated corporate subsidies from the farm bill. And, as military occupation of Iraq goes hand-in-hand with economic occupation of the global south, the United States must start spending far more money on foreign aid and assistance than border enforcement and war. Maybe then we could start producing an abundance of fairness and justice on both sides of the border, rather than broken families, ravaged communities and corn.

Sally Kohn is director of the New York-based Movement Vision Project, working with grassroots organizations across the United States to advance our shared values of family, community and humanity. She has interviewed progressive leaders across the country on their vision for the future.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/19/1314/

[Jasman0717 9]

And don't forget the blue agave, a most important agricultural plant for Mexico

Edited October 1, 2007 by jasman0717

[JohnK 0]

Doesn't this article contradict itself? It says the price of corn has dropped so much that "two million family farmers can’t compete with subsidized U.S. corn" and then turns around and says "the price of a tortilla in Mexico has risen 279% since NAFTA". So corn is cheaper, yet the tortilla costs more, and somehow it's the fault of the USA.

Just brilliant.

[Fandango 1,439]

...somehow it's the fault of the USA.

With Stevo, it always is

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

...somehow it's the fault of the USA.

With Stevo, it always is

He doesn't like the USA. I recommend joining the armed forces to instill a little pride in our country.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...somehow it's the fault of the USA.

With Stevo, it always is

He doesn't like the USA. I recommend joining the armed forces to instill a little pride in our country.

Whoah there, buddy...take a few deep breaths before taking cheap shots like that. I hope you were kidding.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Doesn't this article contradict itself? It says the price of corn has dropped so much that "two million family farmers can’t compete with subsidized U.S. corn" and then turns around and says "the price of a tortilla in Mexico has risen 279% since NAFTA". So corn is cheaper, yet the tortilla costs more, and somehow it's the fault of the USA.

Just brilliant.

What part of this is confusing?

...in Mexico - the birthplace of corn - one-out-of-three tortillas is now made with imported maize. An estimated two million family farmers who can’t compete with subsidized U.S. corn have been driven from their land. They now have to buy imported corn to feed their families but don’t have the income to afford it. Meanwhile, American politicians following the instructions of corporate farm lobbyists start pushing ethanol. Even though the “alternative” fuel actually wastes more energy than it produces, it’s made from corn so agribusiness loves it. The new demand for corn drives up prices. And so the price of a tortilla in Mexico has risen 279% since NAFTA. The overall effect impacts not only farmers but all Mexicans, especially the poor. Since NAFTA, poverty in Mexico has increased. As of 2001, over 80% of people in rural Mexico were living in poverty.

[buckeye6976 0]

Steven-This does seem to me to be a somewhat biased and contradictory article, although you may not agree. Another side to this issue perhaps is because of our ability to produce huge amounts of food, subsidized or not, we can feed so many people in other countries around the world. I really can't see why our help should be limited to just south of our border. See details below :

Who Are the Major Food Aid Donors and Where Does the Aid Go?

The major food aid donors are the United States, European Union (EU), Japan, Canada, and Australia. In the late 1980s, the U.S. provided roughly 7 million tons of food aid per year, or nearly 60 percent of global food aid donations during the period. The EU share at that time was about 25 percent. U.S. donations fell considerably from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, and the U.S. share of world food aid slipped below 50 percent in 1994-96. This decline was offset by the EU, whose share rose to 35 percent, and Japan, whose share jumped from less than 4 to nearly 6 percent. U.S. donations have rebounded considerably, however, and since 2000, the U.S. share of world food aid has surpassed levels of the late 1980s. Conversely, EU donations have slipped, with the EU share averaging less than 20 percent in recent years.

Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia have been by far the largest recipients of food aid, receiving more than 60 percent of the volume of food aid during the last 15 years. The food aid share of the two regions has changed over time, depending on the economic and political developments in their respective countries. Severe droughts in the early 1990s resulted in higher food aid shipments to SSA, while political, financial, and natural disasters in the late 1990s triggered a shift in donations to Asia. On a per capita basis, however, food aid receipts are much higher in SSA than in Asia because of differences in population: SSA countries have less than half of the population of lower income Asian countries.

Donors’ shares of global food aid

U.S. EU Japan Canada

Percent

1988 58.1 22.5 3.6 8.6

1989 56.6 27.2 3.9 6.7

1990 59.7 24.6 3.6 7.2

1991 58.1 25.4 3.3 7.3

1992 49.7 35.2 3.0 6.9

1993 63.5 24.4 2.4 3.6

1994 56.1 29.0 2.4 7.1

1995 41.7 39.5 8.7 4.9

1996 44.3 35.5 6.4 5.2

1997 43.3 30.6 4.5 7.3

1998 48.2 22.8 13.7 4.8

1999 63.9 24.3 2.9 2.7

2000 61.5 18.9 4.8 2.7

2001 59.0 18.8 8.8 2.6

2002 64.9 13.8 3.2 1.7

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

...somehow it's the fault of the USA.

With Stevo, it always is

He doesn't like the USA. I recommend joining the armed forces to instill a little pride in our country.

Whoah there, buddy...take a few deep breaths before taking cheap shots like that. I hope you were kidding.

I thought such a suggestion would get such a reaction.

[GaryC 7]

Steven thinks all the evils in the world are caused by capitalism and the USA. I see nothing posted by him that shows the good we do in the world, only the bad. Personally I am getting tired of his blame America first mantra.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Steven thinks all the evils in the world are caused by capitalism and the USA. I see nothing posted by him that shows the good we do in the world, only the bad. Personally I am getting tired of his blame America first mantra.

Gary, I'm really disappointed in you. Why does this thread have to turn into a personal attack on me? I simply posted an article that presents some facts and presents a viewpoint - something you do quite often here. Although you have every right to counter the position taken, you don't have a right to personally attack me, let alone put words in my mouth. I don't hate America any more than you do and it's disheartening that I should ever have to defend my patriotism. Honestly, reading your above post just makes me sick...it's pathetic.

As for talking about the plight of the poor Mexican farmers and dismissing at as either anti-American or having a bleeding heart - if you are an Isolationist, then be consistent. When is talking about the plight of a nation's people appropriate to you and when isn't it? I could respect your position more if you weren't being selective with your compassion about the plight of other countries.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...somehow it's the fault of the USA.

With Stevo, it always is

He doesn't like the USA. I recommend joining the armed forces to instill a little pride in our country.

Whoah there, buddy...take a few deep breaths before taking cheap shots like that. I hope you were kidding.

I thought such a suggestion would get such a reaction.

I think anyone here should be careful about stating that another person here hates America without facing dire consequences. That's not free speech, that's defamation. I'd kindly ask you to retract what you said.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

...somehow it's the fault of the USA.

With Stevo, it always is

He doesn't like the USA. I recommend joining the armed forces to instill a little pride in our country.

Whoah there, buddy...take a few deep breaths before taking cheap shots like that. I hope you were kidding.

I thought such a suggestion would get such a reaction.

I said 'doesn't like' not 'hate'. What's wrong with joining the armed forces? Does the mere thought make you vomit?

I think anyone here should be careful about stating that another person here hates America without facing dire consequences. That's not free speech, that's defamation. I'd kindly ask you to retract what you said.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...somehow it's the fault of the USA.

With Stevo, it always is

He doesn't like the USA. I recommend joining the armed forces to instill a little pride in our country.

Whoah there, buddy...take a few deep breaths before taking cheap shots like that. I hope you were kidding.

I thought such a suggestion would get such a reaction.

I said 'doesn't like' not 'hate'. What's wrong with joining the armed forces? Does the mere thought make you vomit?

I think anyone here should be careful about stating that another person here hates America without facing dire consequences. That's not free speech, that's defamation. I'd kindly ask you to retract what you said.

I've never said I didn't like America and to suggest that I don't is defamatory.

As far for serving in the military - I signed up for the Air Force over 20 years ago but failed the medical, but that's got nothing to do with this thread.

Edited October 1, 2007 by Mister Fancypants

[Lance27 19]

Wow.. shocked to know that Canada only contributes 1.7% of global food aid? I thought that number would be higher...