The economic downturn had caused a drop in demand for raw materials and packing materi¬als. Decreased demand for manufactured goods from developed countries led to a decline in exports from Asia, resulting in a decline in demand for recycled waste materials and a drop in the selling price of waste. Large numbers of waste pickers around the world are earning significantly less or facing loss of livelihoods. In addition, the decline in commodity exports and prices will affect many small farmers and producers. Recent evidence from Eastern Africa, for example, indicates a decrease in exports of cotton from Tanzania and a decrease in price of coffee in Rwanda. Home based workers also found piecework rate dropped to one third of what they received just over a year ago.

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– Source: WIEGO