vered. In addition to this form of aid there are a number of other changes that must take place. Poor countries need to shift the focus of their agricultural industry away from the export market and concentrate on growing crops that are appropriate to the needs of the local community. Small-scale farming should be encouraged and not be overlooked for large cash cropping. While this is happening the rich countries should help provide a permanent safety net to be used to assist countries facing food shortages. This can be achieved by the boosting of the International Emergency Food Reserves through constant donations from countries with surplus food. The methods of distributing this emergency relief needs to be improved. Equipment such as aircraft and trucks and resources such as mechanical support, health workers and nutritionists must be available at short notice and be able to be deployed immediately in the event of a crisis. All this should be accompanied by forcing the rich countries to pay fair prices for commodities that they purchase from poor countries. The profits resulting from this can be reinvested in such a way that it enables development of projects such as irrigation, reforestation and technical advice, etc., that will develop appropriate infrastructure for self-sufficiency. Land is the second basic need that eludes the poor in most developing nations. Much of the cultivatable land in the world is owned by people with large farms, particularly in the Americas. For example, in the 1970's in Central America, the richest 10% of land owners controlled 80% of all farmland. This means that the large farmers are able to dominate the market as it is easier for them to get credits and loans which in turn helps them afford mechanization and fertilizer seeds, etc. This means that the large farms can mass produce. The mass production of crops forces the prices down and small farmers lose out and are forced to sell their land. The...
