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Policies Aimed at Raising the Income of the Poor Text extracted from: The World Food Problem Leathers & Foster, 2004

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Presentation on theme: "Policies Aimed at Raising the Income of the Poor Text extracted from: The World Food Problem Leathers & Foster, 2004"— Presentation transcript:

1 Policies Aimed at Raising the Income of the Poor Text extracted from: The World Food Problem Leathers & Foster, 2004 http://www.amazon.com/World-Food-Problem- Toward-Undernutrition/dp/1588266389

2 Poverty and Inequity Are poverty and inequity inevitable? Must there be an elite? –In U.S. we are an elite Traditional values: –Dominate or be dominated –Work hard to be among the elite Alternative is terrible Is inequity a moral good? –Or morally unacceptable? How can inequity be diminished? –To achieve a better life for everyone? Poor Elite

3 The Hungry are Poor Policies to alleviate poverty: –Redistribute income or wealth from the rich to the poor Progressive taxation Land Reform –Promote general economic growth Bangladesh Garment Factory http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3535018.stm

4 Taxation Progressive Taxation –Wealthy pay greater percentage of income than poor –Income tax –Sales tax in developing world Poor often barter for goods Sales taxes come from wealthy To redistribute wealth –Governments have to spend tax money on the poor Bartering in Zaire outside of the taxable economy http://jetcityjimbo.com/awful_wonderful/photos/emmasmarket.html

5 Inflation due to income elasticity of Demand If one rupee taken from top 5% in India –Reduces food demand by.003 rupees If government gives the rupee to the poor in bottom 20% –Increases food demand by.58 rupees –Therefore inflationary Market economy removes some of the benefit http://www.tribalbazaar.com/merchadise/Pictures/w.8.jpg India market stall

6 Tax land use value Tax on some large land owners small No incentive to farm efficiently If tax land use, inefficient farmers will be forced to sell –Land redistributed without displacing good farmers http://www.meridianholidays.com/Can_bali_sing_super_holiday.html

7 Minimum wage laws May help the poor –Can be enforced in urban areas Results in mass migration to cities in developing countries May not help the poor –Wait for a good job can take a long time –Family undernourished while waiting for employment –Employers motivated to substitute captial for labor Invest in machines Reduce number of jobs http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_summer/oncamera/india-factory.html Clothing Factory, India

8 Hope for Land Reform Credited with helping reconstruction of Japan, Taiwan Inequity in land can be extreme –Columbia: 10% of owners controlled 80% of land (1988) Tenant farmers pay 50% to landlord If small farmers own land, motivated to –Work long hours –Invest in fences, irrigation –Increase productivity Tenant farmers, India http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2322387.stm

9 Problems with land reform Socialist elimination of property ownership causes problems –China –Russia “Land to the tiller” reforms did not benefit poorest people –Puru May reduce investment in agriculture by wealthy –Afraid of losing land Policy may be “anti-agricultural” form of urban bias Land Reform in South Africa http://www.thebigquestion.co.za/Default.aspx?tabid=743

10 Economic Growth Private sector must grow to provide jobs –Government projects don’t create jobs efficiently Per capita income in Taiwan: –1960: $1,200 –1998: $12,000 Per capita income in Democratic Republic of Congo: –1960: $489 –1998: $197 http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_summer/oncamera/t aiwan-factory.html

11 How to promote growth Recommendations of World Bank and IMF: –High savings leading to increased capital stock Good macroeconomic policy –High labor productivity Education Health Anti-poverty –Adoption of new technology Market orientation http://www.thenoelfoundation.org/pinternational.html

12 Good Macroeconomic Policy Objectives: –Low inflation Encourages savings Keep central Bank out of political process –More confidence in savings –Low budget deficits Prevents printing more money and inflation Reduces borrowing by governments –Stable exchange rates Attract foreign investors http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/1874755.stm McDonald’s in China

13 Market Orientation Promote open and free trade –reduce government distortion of supply and demand Assign and enforce property rights –To increase ownership –Motivates productivity Eliminate corruption http://bara.arizona.edu/research/pro-ranching-mexico.htm

14 Agricultural Development Promote growth of the agricultural sector –Increased productivity Stimulates economic growth Low food prices –allow low wages to be paid in factories –but workers live well Can buy more non-food items –Stimulates employment http://www.provost.uncc.edu/LatinoInitiative/Photos.htm Market stall, Mexico

15 Globalization Definition: increasing integration of countries in the world economy –Opening borders –Adopting macroeconomic policies in order to get IMF loans –Adopting market-oriented agricultural and industrial policies In order to get IMF loans –Reducing restriction on foreign investment –Adopting labor and environmental policies that will attract foreign investment http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CIE/Resources/globalization/ima ges/globefull169.gif

16 Globalization

17 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/wwwboard/g-index.php

18 Criticisms of Globalization Policies encourage –Low wages –Poor working conditions –Poor environmental quality Fiscal policies imposed by IMF –Reduce health programs –Reduce education –Reduce poverty alleviation programs IMF policies are antidemocratic –IMF can countermand decisions by democratic governments Multinational corporations benefit –At expense of ordinary people http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/JobDestructionHumor.htm

19 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/wwwboard/g-index.php

20

21 Joseph Stiglitz Nobel Prize in economics 2002 Policies imposed by IMF –don’t take into account special circumstances of each country Private sector solutions –require infrastructure that may not be there Globalization policies – need to be reformed to help poor countries grow http://www.cigionline.ca/about/ibg.php?member=41


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