Guatemala The Human Price Of Coffee

To the casual observer, globalization can be thought to have a positive impact on the entire world. This statement is definitely true for most of the developed countries, such as the United States of America. However, there are many countries that have suffered severe negative consequences as a product of globalization. For example, the “first globalization” occurred when Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire and exploited the local populations and African slaves to mine the silver reserves. China, the economic powerhouse at

Globalization is the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale. According to economic and political writer Doug Bandow, “Some critics of globalization have contended that the process has helped the rich and hurt the poor. However, the best research indicates that this is accurate: ‘Poverty is falling rapidly in those poor countries that are integrating into the global economy.”. In both documentaries “The True Cost” and “Living on One Dollar” we can see how companies exploit their employees for consumer benefit, as well as the social and economic inequalities that are attached with globalization.

That this was also the decade in which globalization came into full swing is more than a minor inconvenience for its advocates” (Rodrick). If globalization is supposed to present an advantage to developing countries, why have there been so many setbacks? Indeed, both sides will have its winners and losers regardless of which side of the development coin they live on, but for the most part globalization has lifted millions out of poverty, improved the standard of living, and increased life expectancy rates all while keeping developed nations relatively competitive to their developing counterparts. Globalization’s value is that it seeks to create an economic equilibrium in the world, where parties are free from barriers and can benefit from one another through a more efficient allocation of resources. This allows all participating nations to contribute to an integrated economy and where all nations willing to embrace globalization have the potential to benefit. Regardless, the path to successful integration to the global economy has not always been easy. There is contention towards globalization as some argue that it is detrimental to developed nations, while many developing countries that were forced to hastily open up their markets and integrate failed. However, if implemented properly, globalization has proven that it can benefit all parties involved and that the potential gains outweigh the losses.

Globalization is when a business is trying to create a market that is heard of across the globe. Globalization allows you to trade with other nations if they meet the requirements of the World Trade Organization. This allows the country to send goods that they are well known for to countries that can not make that same good. Globalization applies to this class because it allows me to learn about what it is and how it affects more nations than just the United States. Globalization impacts us internationally because of the trades the U.S. makes with other countries across the globe. The way people feel about globalization is affected by the domestic influence on how they feel about certain things and their

Often times the very workers that make globalization possible are the ones being mistreated and are being adversely affected by it. Steps must be taken to fix the moral oversight of globalization. Specifically I would like to look at the use of illegal immigrants to reduce the wages of workers. I want to look at the use of unfair competition to put the workers, farm workers in particular, in a very disadvantaged position. Steps can be taken to make the situation more just for all parties, but it may take a change in Mexican-American border policy.

Globalization has impacted the poor from others parts of the world just the same as it has in our home, Canada. Opening the doors of international trade has given birth to intense competition. Therefore, our local markets (e.g. Zellers) have been affected dramatically. In recent times the standard of living has improved. Many Canadians are therefore ready to shell out extra money for a product that may be available at a lower price.

In chapter seven, it was stated that the coffee shop company do not completely buy from the small-time farmers. In case regarding towards Rwanda, a developing area where Starbucks supposedly performs fair trade, it was discovered that Starbucks buy their coffee beans from bigger plantations and the middle man, who buys coffee beans from small-time farmers usually scamming them (216). This creation of image of Starbucks being a good corporate business in helping the small time farmers earn more income is contracted by Simon’s findings, and shows that the coffee company is actually taking advantage of the small time farmers, when Starbucks buys from the middle man or the big plantation owners, it pay less for the coffee beans than they do if Starbucks purchases beans from small-time farmers. The greed of Starbucks at the expense of the individual farmers is unethical, yet the coffee shop company markets the contradiction.

‘Explain the meaning of globalization and discuss critically, illustrating with examples, the impact globalization has had on a country, industry, or business of your choice.’

According to Lopez (2000), the poverty level in Latin America is far worse in rural areas like Mexico and the Andean countries. Government agencies, organizations and intellectuals across the world have expressed unease about the extreme amounts of poverty in Latin America (Mamalakis, 1996). The exact level of poverty in Latin America can only be projected because of the high number of people living in rural areas. This problem is only exacerbated by the number of countries in the Latin America region. Lopez (2000) projects that over sixty percent of citizens beneath the poverty level live in rural areas across Latin America. Those rural areas are more susceptible to poverty because there is less access to jobs and resources. Whole families, including children, are impoverished because they are forced to live off of the

The most imported products and food are iPhones and chocolate beans since they can’t be made in the United States due to the environment and the choices the maker has decided. Most of all, it makes our lives feel further connected and wanting to support where our products came from. For the people who determine to not like the idea of Globalization, says that local businesses have been shutting down due to multinational corporations, having advanced in Science and Technology gotten people to lose their jobs. Throughout six articles, all have their own viewpoints about globalization is or is not helping local business and local economies.

Supporters of globalization argue that it has the potential to make this world a better place to live in and solve some of the deep-seated problems like unemployment and poverty. But the opponents general complaint about globalization is that it has made the rich richer while making the non-rich poorer. “It is wonderful for managers, owners and investors, but hell on workers and nature.”

Some view globalization as being inevitable and key to our economic future. It has the potential of making societies richer through trade, and creates knowledge and understanding to people around

Four million people worldwide make their daily stop at Starbucks in the desperate need for a coffee fix, just don’t forget to ask them to hold the side of exploitation, modern slavery and deforestation.

“Globalization is not just one impact of the new technologies that are reshaping the economies of the third millennium” (Thurow 19-31). When speaking of globalization, most people will not have a complete understanding as of what it actually means or what aspects of the world it affects. Globalization promotes free trade and creates jobs. The capital markets attract investors, resort cheap labor, and leads to job losses in some areas of higher wage. While all of this is happening, the world economy is being effected: economically, culturally, socially, and politically.

Globalization is a major issue in our world today. But it can be seen through many different perspectives, some see it as a negative thing, but some people also see the positives within it and some people have mixed views. Globalization is the spreading of different views, this can political views, social views, and economic views being spread throughout the world where it once wasn’t present. Globalization shapes the way people live and what they do on a day to day basis, or what’s going on around them like technological advancement. Globalization affects everyone, what we do, what we eat all shapes our individual and collective identities.