Most of the world's poorest
countries depend for increasing export earnings
on agricultural products that are vulnerable to
fluctuating or declining terms of trade.
Disadvantageous terms of technology transfer,
protectionism, and decline in financial flows
compound the already existing poverty and lack
of work. Being labour-intensive, such sectors are
prone to various types of unemployment.
Developing countries that rely on the export of
primary products were hit particularly hard by
falling commodity prices between 1980 and
1984.