Question

Agricultural price supports result in governments holding large inventories of agricultural products. Why do you think the government cannot simply give the products away to poor people?

Short answer

In summary, governments cannot simply give away excess agricultural products to poor people due to various reasons. Firstly, it may distort global market prices, leading to surplus supply and adversely affecting farmers' revenues. Secondly, it could create dependency and discourage self-sufficiency among the recipients. Thirdly, there are significant logistical and infrastructure challenges in distributing these products. Lastly, such a move might have negative impacts on domestic agriculture markets and international trade relations as it might be perceived as 'dumping' or trade-distorting subsidies.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the agricultural price supports

Agricultural price supports are government policies aimed at stabilizing and supporting the prices of agricultural products. They are meant to ensure that farmers obtain a minimum price for their products, protecting them from price fluctuations in the market. As a result, governments often end up holding large inventories of agricultural products.

Reason 1: Distorting global market prices

Giving away large quantities of free agricultural products to poor people can have an impact on global market prices. This can lead to a surplus of supply in the international market. Consequently, this could cause a drop in the global prices of those products, which would hurt the revenues of farmers and undermine the very purpose of agricultural price supports.

Reason 2: Dependency and lack of sustainability

By giving away large amounts of free agricultural products to the poor, the government might unintentionally create a dependency on these handouts. The poor could come to rely on this free assistance, which could discourage them from seeking other sources of income or improving their skills and economic situation. Furthermore, such a program may lack long-term sustainability, as it may impose an added burden on the government budget, and in some cases lead to a proliferation of corruption and misuse of resources.

Reason 3: Infrastructure and logistics issues

Even if the government wanted to distribute the excess agricultural products to the poor, there can be significant logistical and infrastructural challenges involved. The transportation, storage, and distribution of such products, especially perishable ones, would require substantial investment in infrastructure and organization. There might be inefficiencies and waste in the process, leading to losses in both time and money.

Reason 4: Impact on domestic agriculture and trade

Giving away agricultural products for free to the poor could have unintended consequences on the domestic agricultural market. This might hurt the competitiveness of local farmers who rely on revenue from those products. Additionally, it may lead to trade imbalances and tensions with other countries, as they could perceive these actions as a form of 'dumping' or as trade-distorting subsidies that would disadvantage their own farmers and industries. In conclusion, although seemingly an attractive idea, simply giving away the large inventories of agricultural products held as a result of price supports to poor people is not a straightforward solution due to its potential effects on global market prices, dependency issues, logistical challenges, and domestic agricultural markets. A more sustainable and nuanced approach would be required to address the issue of poverty and food security.