Final answer:
U.S. government subsidies to American cotton farmers lower international demand for West African cotton, driving down prices and making it hard for West African farmers to compete, thus impacting their livelihoods and contributing to poverty in the region.
Step-by-step explanation:
West African cotton farmers are very upset about the subsidies the U.S. government pays to American cotton farmers mainly because subsidized cotton from the United States lowers the demand for West African cotton in the international market. The farm subsidies to high-income countries' farmers enable them to increase production. This increase in supply cause a worldwide decrease in farm product prices below the costs of production, making it extremely difficult for low-income countries' farmers to compete. Further exacerbating the issue, high-income countries sometimes block agricultural exports from low-income countries or even flood their markets with excess supply, hurting local farmers.
The effects in the cotton-growing regions of West Africa are particularly dramatic. They contribute to keeping millions of Africans on the edge of malnutrition. The current subsidy system primarily benefits a relatively small number of American cotton producers who already have significantly higher incomes compared to the affected West African farmers. In essence, the subsidies distort the market in favor of wealthier producers and can have devastating impacts on the livelihoods of farmers in poorer nations.