International trade stifles development

The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which rich countries' failure to comply with certain international trade rules undermines the development of certain African trade sectors. Rich countries vigorously and wholeheartedly defend the values of free trade whilst, at the same time (and perhaps paradoxically), engaging in protectionist practices. Protectionism on the part of rich countries results in losses for African cash crop sectors. These losses are believed to exceed the volume of financial aid granted by these same countries as part of their development aid policies. The development aid system is thus at an impasse, as everything that development is supposed to create is swept aside by unfair trade practices. Subsidies from Northern countries for their agricultural exports, for example, compete unfairly with produce from the South and impoverish the populations concerned. It seems that a comprehensive approach is needed to rectify these inconsistencies.