But there are good reasons why the Third World should not buy tractors. Their use causes job losses amongst those who are the most vulnerable, the rural poor. Farm labourers lose their jobs as tractors replace them. Over two and a half million jobs have been lost in Latin America alone since the introduction of modern tractors. Tractors also cause severe long-term environmental damage by compacting the soil.
Compaction prevents water seeping into the soil and prevents adequate drainage.
It also reduces plant rooting depth and limits nutrient uptake. Ten per cent of yields were lost because of compaction in the Southern States of the USA during 1971. Tractors are usually introduced into farming at the expense of traditional draught animals such as buffalo or oxen. But they have some disadvantages compared to beasts of burden. Unlike animals, they are expensive to buy and costly to run.