Hello all!
I am looking to get some feedback on an issue: How would a free market here in our country impact third world countries?
A specific example would be if we had a truly free market here in the United States, how would this affect the price of cocoa beans in West Africa?
Right now, West African farmers are being paid very low prices for their cocoa beans by the chocolate companies here in the US. One of the results of these low prices is child slavery on the cocoa farms. There are several factors that contribute to this problem. Some think that the demand for low prices by US consumers is a big factor, others think the problem lies mostly with the chocolate corporations greed. I tend to think both are a problem, but the solution is not anywhere in sight due to our current system. Legislation that attempts to promote "slavery free" goods is well intended, but ultimately has no real impact because of lobbying on behalf of chocolate corporations and lack of US consumer education on issues like these.
So, how would a free market in the US ultimately affect trade between the US and thrid world countries?