a typical family often grows cash crops or mono-crops that are profitable at the time. However, the profit from these crops depends on the market price, and this dependence increases the family's vulnerability to external price shcoks. Oversupply of the products reduces the price trementdously, thereby forcing the family to borrow for reinvestment. what is even worse is that they then have to borrow money in order to buy their own food since they cannot eat their cash crops.