Peru's First Environment Ministry

Peruvian President Alan Garcia said the new ministry would help protect the nation's Amazon rainforest. A scientific study has said that Peru is one of the three nations that will be most affected by global warming. Many Peruvians will see the foundation of the ministry as long overdue.
Peru's Andes mountains are the home of more than half the world's tropical glaciers, but it is estimated that in 25 years time they will be gone. The glaciers supply rivers which provide water for farms and people on the arid Pacific coast, where almost three-quarters of Peru's population live. On the other side of the Andes lies the biggest stretch of the Amazon rainforest after Brazil's, an area which Mr Garcia says - with the creation of the environment ministry - will be preserved for its important role in combating climate change.
Mr Garcia said European and Latin American leaders meeting in Peru this week should promote reforestation and carbon trading to cut greenhouse gases. He also urged world leaders to create a global reforestation fund financed by a fossil fuels tax. However, some say the new environment ministry has been hastily put together in time for the summit and because it was a requirement of a bilateral trade deal with the US.
Peru - a major minerals exporter - had been worried that a ministry could slow existing mining projects and deter investment in its vast reserves of copper, zinc and gold. But preserving the environment is now an economic concern. A recent study predicted that Andean countries could lose $30 billion in the next 20 years because of climate change.
The creation of this new ministry is a clear example of how international pressure has pushed the Peruvian government to create this new entity and how global ideas and concepts affect the day-to-day policy-making systems of Latin America.

Globalization: Ecuadorian Quechua Cacao Farmers enter the Global Market

On an island in the Napo River in Ecuador's Amazonian rain forest, in a tin-roofed hut on stilts, live some of the world’s most unusual chocolate entrepreneurs.

César and Magdalena Dahua grow cacao, along with pineapples, vanilla, avocados, cassava, coffee, oranges and plantains. As they hack off the football-shaped fruit of the cacao trees, their three youngest daughters run barefoot nearby. The girls stop to suck the sticky white pulp that envelops the cacao beans in the pods. It tastes like Sour Patch candies.

For Quechua people like the Dahuas, cacao has always been a treat But mostly, the beans were a commodity, sold for about 20 cents a pound to men who would bring them to the port of Guayaquil. From there they would be shipped around the world to be turned into mass-produced chocolate. Every once in a while the Quechua might even taste it.
But the Quechua grew tired of making such a meager living from so highly valued a product. With the help of volunteers they eliminated the middlemen and created their own chocolate. Now Kallari bars — named for the cooperative they formed — are being sold throughout the United States. People in the chocolate industry said they knew of no other cacao farmers who were making and marketing their own chocolate.
The cooperative uses an unusual blend of cacaos that grow on the Quichua land — fruity Cacao Amazónico, nutty Criollo, Forastero Amazónico, Tipo Trinitario and, most important, a rare variety that flourishes around their homes, Cacao Nacional.

“They have a certain smell and taste that is herbal, flowery but also savory, like black pepper,” Tomas Keme, a Swiss chocolate expert who consults for Kallari, said of the Cacao Nacional beans. The chocolate is smooth, rich and straightforward. To become chocolate makers the Quechua first had to decide to be more than just farmers. Logback said. Pozo said. Logback hired Dr. Jorge Ruiz, who had worked for a cacao cooperative on the coast, to teach the Quechua fermentation. Steinberg made a chocolate bar with Kallari beans and helped them present it at the Terra Madre conference of the Slow Food group in Turin, Italy. Pozo told Kallari elders that they should start making chocolate.
Pozo said. Alvarado, who had eaten only cheap commercial milk chocolate before he tried the Kallari bars. With Kallari’s permission and $250,000, Mr. McDonnell established the Kallari Chocolate Company, which lists him as the owner for liability and insurance reasons. All of the profits, though, go back to the Kallari cooperative.
McDonnell hired Mr. Keme to teach the collective about bean quality and techniques of Swiss chocolate making. Pozo. (The chocolate made in Salinas, less refined and slightly acidic, is sold in some health food stores as Kallari’s Sacha Bar.) (Paradoxically, Kallari does not have Fair Trade certification, since it would cost 8 cents per pound of beans and it seemed unfair for Kallari to pay a fee for its own beans.)
Plans for their own chocolate factory are in the works and Mr. Kallari farmers also hope to diversify to continue living sustainably off their land. Pozo said.

The Impact of Globalization on the Quality of Life

Developing countries in the Caribbean such as Jamaica and Cuba are seeing the impacts of globalization in terms of their improving quality of life. Globalization has improved many aspects of their lives such as medicine and education. Unfortunately, these countries have a long way to go in order to have comparable programs like developed countries like the United States.

In 2006, Jamaican native and Professor Audrey Watkins gave a speach describing her quality of life growing up in Jamaica. She spoke of how she would have never chosen to go to Kingston Public Hospital because of its lack of modern healthcare, which at the time, she did not know existed. She described how the hospital often did not have the medication avaliable for its patients, and in many cases, the medication was not avaliable on the island at all. She also described the other major problem facing the healthcare field in Jamaica, the decreasing number of doctors and nurses. She compared the small country of Jamaica to the United States. In the United States, there are 97.2 nurses for every 10,000 people. In Jamaica, there are 11.3 nurses for every 10,000 people. In other words, there are not nearly enough nurses in Jamaica to serve the population. In addition, the number of nurses is decreasing over time because of another issue, the lack of modern education.

The medical field cannot improve without proper education, and many of the experienced teachers in Jamaica are gone because of rigorous teacher training on the island. The impact on the population is striking. Over 20% of Jamaican high school graduates are still illiterate. Without proper education, the healthcare field will never improve.

Luckily, developed countries are aware of these problems facing developing countries. They are helping to provide proper education. Without globalization, these countries would almost never be able to improve. This prime example shows the importance of globalization in developing countries.

Image: A Jamaican school. Without improved education systems, Jamaica's development will be slowed down.

European Intersts in Latin America: A Quick Look on Real Intersts and Association Agreements

Since 1993, representatives from the member countries of the Andean Community of Nations (ACN) and the European Union (EU) have met periodically to strengthen their commercial and political ties. From the European side, the eventual goal of these meetings was to allow for the Andean countries to find an alternative development model to the one proposed by Washington. This would allow for the EU to assist in creating development programs and offer the Andean nations opportunities for economic integration with the European body. As part of this assistance, the ACN and the EU would negotiate a treaty to enhance their political dialogue and cooperation. Though negotiations have been stalled for quite some time, the potential Association Agreement resulting from the meetings would include pursuing common political and economic goals, such as a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two blocs and for further support for development within the Andean region.

European politicians would like their Latin American counterparts to believe that the above are the goals of the Agreement. In reality, the actions of EU leaders do not begin to address the complex political-economic situation found within the Andean region. Furthermore, it would be naïve to underestimate the possibility of special interests pressuring Andean politicians to sign an FTA and equally as far-fetched to assume that Europe intends to help the ACN out of pure altruism. The proposed FTA is based on previous agreements negotiated by Peru and Colombia (the latter ones, yet to be ratified) with the U.S. and must be closely scrutinized in order to ensure that it is both efficient and rejection proof.

The growing commodities crisis is transforming Latin America into a crucial region because of its abundant natural resources. Therefore, Europe developed a heightened interest in improving its commercial relations with the ACN. Other countries, such as the U.S., have already been doing so for some time. It is not a coincidence that both the EU and the U.S. started negotiating with the Andean countries in 1993, and that they compete in similar export markets such as machinery and other capital goods, in addition to both importing huge amounts of raw resources from the region. The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) was the U.S. attempt at pulling the region into its sphere of influence, though it utterly failed at this due to tough-minded opposition from populist and anti-imperialist presidents in South America. With the Western powers displaying a sobering interest in trading with South America, it became clear that it would be beneficial for the ACN to pursue an Association Agreement with the EU.

The Globalization of Mexican Cuisine in the United States

The globalization of Mexican food and drinks in the United States is extremely evident. Dishes such as chili, chips and salsa, nachos and burritos can be easily found almost anywhere in the U.S and has definately affected American cuisine. Over the years, however, Latin American food in the U.S. has adapted to fit the American culture. This style of food is called "Tex-Mex" or "Cal-Mex". Most American Mexican restaurants cook using this Mexican-American style.
There are many differences between traditional Mexican food and Tex-Mex food. First, Mexican food is not traditionally spicy, however, many Tex-Mex dishes are cooked using chile peppers to make them extra hot. Also, Mexican food in American restaurants are cooked using rediculous amounts of cheese. Using cheese with traditional Mexican foods is very rare. In addition, Tex-Mex food uses lots of sauces to complement the food, when traditional Mexican food does not. Finally, the portions of food in American restaurants are immense compared to the portions in Mexico.
Traditional Mexican drinks are also very popular in American culture. Corona, a Mexican beer is one of the top selling beers in the United States. Also, the Margarita, a cocktail using tequila, is a popular summer drink north of the border. These drinks are very popular on Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday also celebrated in the United States.
Mexican food seems to not only be popular in the United States, its globalization is evident in other parts of the world as well. William Gephardt, a German immigrant to the United States owned a tavern in San Antonio where he would serve German beer. Gephardt employed numerous Mexican workers in his tavern and they introduced him to chile, a traditional Mexican meat dish. Over time, Gephardt realized the Mexican chile complemented his German beer well and he began serving the two together. Today, twenty years later, Gephardt mass produces chile for sale to tourists visiting San Antonio. He still sells the chile out of his German tavern.
Mexican cuisine is become a staple to American society today. For example, Football is a popular American tradition, and chips and salsa, nachos and chile are some of the most popular foods to eat during a football game. So next time you go to Taco Bell, be thankful for the Mexican traditons.

Instructions for an awesome Cinco De Mayo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcwW6wQGyVQ


Works Cited:

"Kitchen Wisdom: Food Traditions and Globalization." NPR : National Public Radio . 29 Sep. 2008 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4136885.

"Mexican Food, America Eats, from Life in the USA: The Complete Guidefor Immigrants and Americans." Life in the USA: The Complete Guide for Immigrants and Americans. 29 Sep. 2008 http://www.lifeintheusa.com/food/mexican.htm.

Shiavone, Louise. "Some food from Mexico to face testing." CNN.com . 29 Sep. 2008 .

Images:

Image 1: Corona, a popular Mexican beer

Image 2: The Taco Bell Chihuahua

The Impact of Trade in the Globalization of Mexico

Mexico is a prime example when discussing the positives and negative effects of globalization. Since the early 1980's, Mexico has loosened trade barriers and restrictions on investments. They practically eliminated tariffs, making trade a vital part of their economy. In addition, in 1994, they signed NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) which helped Mexico's GDP to triple from 1980 to 1992. Clearly, international trade is a major part of the growing Mexican economy, but the effects of globalization in Mexico do not have a positive impact on all citizins.

Since the increase in globalization began in the 1980's, different areas of Mexico have had various levels of exposure. Northern Mexico has seen the positives of globalization. For example, in the mid-1990's during the peso crisis, incomes northern Mexico suffered much less than incomes in southern Mexico. This was because of the location of Mexico to the United States. Northern Mexico was able to trade across the border of the US. Unfortunately, labor earnings in southern Mexico have decreased by over 10% since the 1990's. In addition, the number of workers who can support their families in southern Mexico and stay out of poverty is still decreasing. Clearly Mexico is seeing all different effects of Globalization.

Another negative effect of globalization is drug trafficing. In September of 2007, Zhenli Ye Gon was arrested in the United States following the discovery of over 205 million dollars earned from selling cocaine and meth to people in the United States and other countries. Over the past few years the number of large scale drug trafficers from Mexico is increasing and it is changing the US market for illegal substances. The increasing demand for meth would not be occuring if people such as Ye Gon did not supply illegal substances at such a large scale.

While there are many positive effects of globalization, there are many negative effects as well. Globalization does not effect everyone positively, and a globalized world can result in negative trade. Hopefully in the future Mexico will work out their trade faults.

Works Cited

"Globalization and Poverty in Mexico." National Bureau of Economic Research. 24 Sep. 2008 http://www.nber.org/digest/apr05/w11027.html.

Porter, Eduardo. "The China Connection: Globalization and the Narcotics Trade - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 24 Sep. 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/opinion/02thu4.html.

Video on NAFTA Free Trade Agreement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wvOPBZoWZM

Image: A poverty stricken area in southern Mexico.

Posted 9/24/08

LAC Involvement in the Era of Globalization

Recently, it seems increasingly more common to hear news about Latin America on TV, radio, and other MassMedias. We used to think about South American countries as ones that lag far behind flourishing America, surpassing China, and "always in shape" European countries. But current rankings change our minds. The top 50 countries with the highest index of globalization include Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. Since 2007 Venezuala, Colombia, and Peru are growing their economies by over 8% per annum.Increased prices for copper boosts the Chilean economy, which now occupies the leading position among Latin American countries considering Gross National Income.
International pressures and domestic policy reforms affected Latin America's involvement in the world trade and international investments flows. Nowadays, it playes an important role in the global competitive mode. Acception of free market policy has played a key role in its developement. International corporations such as the World Bank Group serves 30 Latin American Countries and has different strategies for meeting diverse and sophisticated needs in every region. In Chile, for example, the Bank supports the key areas—education, social protection, and innovation—that are part of the country’s overall strategy to ensure high growth with equity. In Bolivia, Haiti, and Honduras, low income countries, the Bank focuses on strengthening economic governance, creating jobs for the poor, and improving basic services. The data from the World Bank economic overview approves its positive affects on Latin American countries:

• With a $300 million loan, the Bank is helping Argentina to expand Plan Nacer, which reduces infant mortality by increasing access to basic health services for uninsured mothers and children.
• A $200 million loan to Colombia will fund health insurance for 13.7 million poor people and provide access to nutrition programs for 400,000 children.
• The portfolio of 13 active projects in support of countries’ efforts to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS totaled $150.1 million.
• The Bank worked with local partners to create the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, the world’s first multicountry catastrophe-insurance pool, which will help participating countries recover more quickly from hurricanes and earthquakes. IDA provided $23.2 million to help poorer Caribbean states participate in the facility.

We cannot be absolutely confident about positive influence of globalization on the economic situation of Latin American countries. Some scholars argue that globalization prevents internal national market from development; international corporations take advantage of cheap labor in the countries of old World and get a big profit;Integrity of trade erases political boundries,affecting national cultures and traditions. The world's environment is worsening also. Despite all these negative statements, we have a chance to judge the affect of globalization by looking at the data. Latin American markets are more than ever competitive with world market giants. The local economy is in its prime - global competition makes local suppliers keep prices low, people of the old world have better choices of products, and they benefit from better living conditions than 20 years ago.

Images:
Image 1: A picture of the World Bank.
Image 2: A picture of Santiago Chile, a growing city.

Work Cited

Dreher, Axel; Noel Gaston and Pim Martens, 2008, Measuring Globalization - Gauging its Consequence, New York: Springer.

Santiago: Layer of Smog. 10 Sept. 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 10 Sept. 2008 .

World Bank. "America Latina and the Caribbean Regional Brief." Www.worldbank.org. Mar. 2008. 3 Sept. 2008 .

World Bank: US no longer top donor. 15 Dec. 2007. Fortune Watch. 10 Sept. 2008 .

World Bank. "World Development Indicators database." Siteresources.worldbank.org. 1 July 2008. 3 Sept. 2008 .


Posted 9/10/2008