Benefits of interdependence include how developing countries can benefit from jobs provided by international companies, and trade. Developing countries benefit from jobs provided by international companies that produce a lot of goods, because that means more opportunities to make money. Families in poverty often rely on jobs provided by retailers for clothes, jewelry, or toys from western companies. Unfortunately, a risk of interdependence lies in that many companies take advantage of the high demand for jobs, and abuse their power to help themselves. Interdependence allows western economies to take advantage of developing countries with weaker economies. Western capitalist businesses often send jobs away to other countries where companies pay their workers a lot less, which makes it cheaper to get goods (like clothes and toys) produced. This side of interdependence is dangerous because it can violate human rights. When a family in poverty lives in an area that allows child labor, they sometimes have no choice but to put their child to work in order to afford food and other necessities. Also, that family may feel encouraged to have more kids to bring in more money, and that contributes to overpopulation. International organizations have pressured countries with child labor to make laws against it, but those laws are often ignored. Countries like India have made an effort to protect children, but some are still forced to work to help support their families.
Another risk of interdependence can be expressed through a dilemma in many countries in Africa: the decision to either produce crops for food or for profit. African governments, influenced by multinational corporations, worked to increase the production of cash crops. Cash crops help to grow the economy, but take up large portions of land that would instead be used for food, which forces some countries to import expensive food to feed their growing population. Another issue surrounding cash crops: if the weather is particularly bad for a season, whether due to droughts or bad storms, the country suffers greatly. When a country depends heavily on one commodity to attract trade and bring in profit, and there becomes a shortage of that crop, that does not bode well for the economy of that country. However, there are still countries and areas that benefit from interdependence due to trade. An example of a beneficial relationship between countries due to interdependence and trade lies in African countries like Nigeria, where rising oil prices due to high demands benefits the economy. When countries trade natural resources, like oil, found in their geographical location, it has a positive effect on their economy. Trading with Asian industrial giants such as China and India also has a positive effect on economies in Africa. Countries in similar economic and geographical positions also profit from the oil trade in addition to minerals and other commodities. The growth that nations in Africa are experiencing attracts outside investments that are helpful when building a strong, successful infrastructure.
