At one level the industrialization of agriculture in developing countries may be perceived as beneficial. However, the behaviour of transnational agribusinesses has attracted a number of criticisms as regards their economic, social and environmental impacts on host countries. These criticisms include the following:1 Agribusinesses specializing in exports, industrial raw materials and luxury food crops, result in a sharply dichotomous pattern of income, productivity and technology compared with the sector producing domestic staples.2 Labour-saving innovations by agribusiness both reduce the need for permanent, resident labour and exaggerate its seasonality; permanent labour is effectively replaced by casual wage workers and specialized, semi-skilled labour. College Essay Writers we employ are responsible, educated, and are working 24/7 to guide you! The result is an increase in the landless casual rural proletariat, while those in work are often paid a low wage and live in poor conditions. Rather than reducing rural poverty, the development of agriculture by agribusiness increases the struggle for access to those resources essential for day-to-day survival.3 The benefits of agricultural industrialization accrue disproportionately to foreign investors and, in the case of nationally owned estates, to urban-based people and local elite groups. The balance of power lies in the hands of Western companies, while agriculture has become overly export-oriented.4 Large estates, especially those of transnational agribusinesses, often take the best land for export crops. This land absorbs the most inputs, investments and expenditure; yet it only occupies a small proportion of the total agricultural area. Nevertheless, agriculture remains the main livelihood for the majority of Third World people but, unable to compete, localized subsistence production begins to break down. Indeed, local peasant farmers can be displaced and have their land confiscated in favour of large-scale farming.5 By importing labour from considerable distances, agribusiness estates can introduce large numbers of people of alien culture: for example, the movements of Tamils from India to Sri Lanka for coffee planting and tea picking, and into Malaysia to tap rubber. Problems of assimilation and conflict can be created.6 Environmentally, the introduction of industrialized farming practices can lead to considerable degradation. Agribusinesses can show limited concern for the conservation of natural resources: rain forests are being cleared, soils eroded, fertility undermined and pollution from fertilizers and agrichemicals introduced. There are many recorded instances of agribusiness corporations moving on to new areas when soils have become depleted. Our Dissertation Writers are trusted! Get authentic help by dissertation writer online! In sum, many of the agricultural practices associated with the large-scale farming of agribusiness are unsustainable.
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