摘要：Asia's economic crisis continues to reverberate globally, demonstrating the pivotalplace of developing countries in world trade. By May 1998, U.S. exports to Asia hadfallen nearly 21 percent, from the pre-crisis level of US$18.5 billion a year earlier toUS$14.7 billion. U.S. farm exports to Asia are expected to fall 15 percent in fiscal1998. Weak Asian demand in 1998 is also likely to cut the European Union's tradesurplus by US$100 billion and to cause trade losses equivalent to 2 percent of grossdomestic product (GDP) in Australia. Thus, Asia's economic well-being affectsexport earnings and employment in industrial countries.It is now well established, if counterintuitive, that broad-based agricultural growth indeveloping countries boosts their agricultural imports. Past agriculture-led,broad-based economic growth in Asia, for example, expanded trading opportunities,which were captured largely by countries that supported growth with aid. Africaoffers similar but as yet unrealized opportunities. Agricultural assistance, whether inAfrica, Asia, or Latin America, can lead to a rise in exports from donor countries.Support for small-scale agriculture also contributes to achieving the primary goal ofaid: poverty alleviation. Yet aid to developing-country agriculture has declineddramatically for 10–15 years. Reversing this trend would benefit both developingand developed countries.
