Fighting Central America's Other War

Abstract

day, and most people think of civil war and the political turmoil that plagues the region. In addition to these troubles, a host of lesser-known problems also contribute to human suffering throughout much of Central America. For example, despite millions of dollars spent annually on international agricultural research, food production in this region has been declining for many years. According to a report from the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, DC, Latin America as a whole will suffer a food deficit of ten million metric tons by the year 2000.1 Reasons for inadequate food production are manifold. Although the Green Revolution that began 20 years ago contributed to higher crop yields in some parts of the world, Central America's primarily subsistence farmers, who cannot afford irrigation or chemical fertilizers and pesticides, gained little from new crop varieties that perform well only in conjunction with these expensive inputs.2 Pests and disease also have taken a tremendous toll on food crops. New diseases are now reducing yields of some of the region's most important exports as well. Because agriculture directly or indirectly employs over half of Central America's workers, such losses not only decrease the region's ability to pay foreign debts, but also contribute to poverty in rural areas. Poverty, the need for foreign exchange, and burgeoning population growth together have forced the region's farmers to clear more marginal and vulnerable lands. Central Ameri-