Imperialism Issues

Agricultural Issues in Third World Countries Imperialism in Africa as well as other less-developed areas around the world began in the 1870s and has had a lasting global impact. Less powerful countries vulnerable to exploitation were being taken control of in the 19th and 20th century. The enticing idea of God, Glory, and Gold caught the eye of the many developed countries and led them to carry out the “White Man’s Burden”. Many countries around the world bear scars from Imperialism whether they were the recipient or the ruler and are still in the process of recovering. However, even today after so many dreadful outcomes of imperialism, different types of imperialism are still going on. The same developed countries as well as others

Companies like Monsanto are destroying the lives of small scale farmers using their seeds. “The entry of Monsanto in the Indian seed sector was made possible with a 1988 Seed Policy imposed by the World Bank, requiring the Government of India to deregulate the seed sector.”(“The Seeds of Suicide: How Monsanto Destroys Farming”) Rapidly Monsanto swooped in and began to overtake the seed market in India. In 2013 Monsanto controlled 95% of India’s cotton seeds. Monsanto added a special gene to their seeds and patented them. This allowed them to apply special royalties to farmer for using the seed. The seed that farmer had used as a common resource was now a “special” seed seen as the “intellectual property’ of Monsanto. Indian companies began to become locked into licensing arrangements with Monsanto which anchored their hold in the seed market.

“In 1995, Monsanto introduced its Bt [Bacillus thuringiensis] technology in India through a joint-venture with the Indian company Mahyco. In 1997-98, Monsanto started open field trials of its GMO Bt cotton illegally and announced that it would be selling the seeds commercially the following year.”(“The Seeds of

‘We bought 100 grams of BT Cotton. Our crop failed twice. My husband had become depressed. He went out to his field, lay down in the cotton and swallowed insecticide.’”

According to Government of India data: “nearly 75 per cent rural debt is due to purchase inputs”. This tragedy that is occurring in India is not the only place it 's happening. Even farmers in America are being sued and threatened by Monsanto for breaking agreements or keeping seeds without planting them. Something needs to be done to stop Monsanto from destroying every small scale farmer’s life. They are the backbone of the food supply for developing countries. At Full Belly Project in Wilmington their goal is to create solutions for farmers in third world countries. We have taken part in the creation of many devices and tools to aid in the success of small scale farmers. Peanut shellers, water pumps, and handwashing stations are only a fraction of the inventions we are developing and shipping to aid these farmers in need. More organizations like this need to form and follow suit to keep small scale farmers afloat (Brandis). So many small villages and farms are taken advantage of or