FOOD PROBLEM IN THE THIRD WORLD 33 Este Conference, analyzed US engagement with Latin American land reforms with a very realistic approach and stated that very little would come out of it, given the fact that big landowners had a very important and decisive influence in the regional governments. And it was true; the result has been that very little has been achieved, while the move succeeded in neutralizing rural unrest for some time. The second element in the picture is that big multinationals, either linked to industries needing agricultural raw materials or to those trading in raw or processed food.are rapidly moving into the Third World, taking over the marketing and processing phases of production, pumping everything to the more developed countries. The MNCs lower food availability by export, or by substituting food for cash crops in the cultivation process. Finally, in every case, a large section of the population is not able to buy enough food because its real income is not sufficient. It is not enough to say that backward agricultures need irrigation, fertilizers, high yielding varieties or mechanization to progress and increase production. Such a flow of investment will further strengthen the existing backward institutions. There will always be frustration with the best development strategies if special priority is not given to a basic change in the social structure in the rural areas in most Third World countries. There is no other way. And this can only be in terms of doing away with the negative action of multinationals and with the remnants of feudal and semi-feudal relationships, very clearly in favour of the peasants. Those relationships are still very widespread in today's world, and do not admit a neutral approach to the problem. The dilemma that faces every academician or expert is whether to use his knowledge on behalf of the peasants or the privileged elites with their foreign associates. This is the only scientific approach to the problem. There is still much suffering ahead for the peasants of poor countries and much frustration for economists, sociologists and planners, but one can be optimistic. The way out is mainly in the hands of the poor of the Third World, including the peasants. The more they fight for the chance to share political power the sooner there will be a rational strategy to satisfy the basic needs of every human being. 1 See, for instance, A Lewis, Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour, Manchester School of Economic and Social Studies, 1954. 2 K Griffin, The Political Economy of Agrarian Change, McMillan, London, 1976; C Hewitt de Alcantara, Modernizing Mexican Agricul fure.UNR.lSD, 1976; S George, How the Other Half Dies, Penguin,London, 1977; World Hunger, Causes and Remedies, Transnational Institute, Rome, 1974. 8 H Fazio, ^Informes Trimestrales Sobre la Economia de Chile', (Mimeographed) 1975, 1976, 1977. 4 0 Letelier, *Les Techniques Economiques ne^sontpas Neutres', Le Monde Diplem' afique,27l, October 1976. 6 G Gazes, Les Crileres du Sous Developpement, Breal, Montreal, 1975.