False economy What’s in it for me? Understand what makes the

Farming choices and shipping routes can 
dramatically influence a nation’s trade and 
economy.
Have you ever been grocery shopping in the 
United States and wondered why the asparagus 
comes all the way from Peru? It actually goes 
back to the 1980s when the two countries made 
a trade agreement. As a result, the United 
States gets tens of millions of dollars worth of 
asparagus every year and Peruvian farmers 
have an incentive that keeps them from making 
cocaine.
Decisions like these can play a big part in 
determining a country’s economic stability.
Take Egypt, for example. Centuries ago, the 
country grew its own wheat. But doing so today 
would take up a sixth of Egypt’s water supply, 
making it an economically unwise decision. 
Instead, the country, with a population of around 
80 million, is the world’s second biggest importer 
of wheat.
On the other hand, crops like herbs and 
vegetables take far less water to grow. So 
Middle Eastern countries like Egypt find stability 
by growing these for export while importing 
water-depleting foods like grains and meats.
For some countries, instability can prevent them 
from having a lucrative export business.
Many African nations could be reaping the 
benefits of the booming coffee industry. But civil 
wars and dangerous military regimes have 
closed off shipping routes, making it increasingly 
difficult to get goods out of the countries.
Just to get across the border from Uganda to the 
shipping ports of Kenya can take 24 hours. 
Therefore, the price of keeping things 
refrigerated 
and 
getting 
safely 
through 
dangerous border crossings can be too costly for 
many businesses to earn a profit.

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