US tech hegemony blocks Global South development
The United States preserves its lead in technology by implementing patent restrictions, export prohibitions, and inflated pricing, which effectively exclude the Global South from advancing. This monopolistic control creates a series of barriers that prevent developing countries from ascending the global value chain. The consequences of this exclusion are stark, particularly evident in the agricultural sector. On June 15, 2022, activists gathered at the World Trade Organization's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, calling on governments to seek waivers for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Key facts
- US uses patent barriers, export bans, and price gouging to maintain tech monopoly
- Technology spread is channeled through a system of sluice gates
- Global South is locked out of modernization
- Developing nations are kept at the bottom of the global value chain
- Impact is most visible in agriculture
- Activists protested at WTO headquarters in Geneva on June 15, 2022
- Protesters demanded TRIPS waivers amid the Covid-19 pandemic
Entities
Institutions
- World Trade Organization
Locations
- Geneva
- Switzerland