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Reneging on beef opening would hurt US support for Taiwan
28-Dec-2009 Taiwan News
The head of Taiwan’s National Security Council urged lawmakers and the public not to demand a reopening of talks with the United States on controversial beef imports, though he said he would "respect the final decision by the legislature" and "the people’s right to initiate a referendum on the issue."
Why we left our farms to come to Copenhagen
8-Dec-2009 Via Campesina
Agricultural trade liberalization promoted by free trade agreements and by the World Trade Organization is contributing to the greenhouse gases emissions due to food processing and food transportation around the world.
For safety’s sake
13-Oct-2009 The Star
Malaysia is about to adopt its biosafety regulations despite pressure from the US Biotechnology Industry Organisation that called on the US trade representative to reject mandatory labelling of GM products in the US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement, claiming that labelling is tantamount to trade barrier.
The great swine cover-up
11-Sep-2009 CIP Americas Program
Mexico has been considered the laboratory of globalization since it initiated the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. In April of 2009 a deadly virus germinated in that laboratory, finding ideal conditions to move quickly into a global pandemic.
Potato fight
5-Sep-2009 Al-Ahram Weekly
A couple of weeks ago, following the discovery of some cases of brown rot, the EU decided to impose a ban on Egyptian potato exports. The Egyptian government believes that the reason behind the move is to protect local European produce from competition.
Africa: Industry sees red over red line
19-Aug-2009 The Namibian
Various participants in a talk in Namibia on the economic partnership agreement with the European Union yesterday saw red when Finance Permanent Secretary Calle Schlettwein dared suggesting that the veterinary fence in the North be gradually moved further North to offer those farmers the same market access as those south of the fence.
Panama lifts beef ban ahead of Canada FTA
18-Aug-2009 Grainews.ca
Panama has lifted its six-year-old BSE-related ban on Canadian beef as it concludes talks on a new free trade agreement with Canada that will improve access for other ag commodities.
Project helps Guatemalans learn about international trade, agricultural marketing
17-Aug-2009
Through its Food for Progress efforts, the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture is helping farmers, agribusiness people and others in Guatemala make the most of producing, marketing and exporting a variety of agricultural products, said a project coordinator.
Study: Free trade spreading obesity
28-Jul-2009 UPI
An influx of US junk food into Central America as part of relaxed trade rules has led to Central American obesity and related illnesses, a study said Monday.
Nicaragua’s Peasant Movement achieves milestone on the road towards Food Sovereignty
21-Jul-2009 Grassroots International
tThe new law establishes a legal framework to regulate the participation of transnational companies and help local organizations and governments to restore local food culture and peasant agriculture despite the CAFTA-DR "free" trade agreement
A profitable epidemic
19-May-2009 Mingas
The new swine flu epidemic that threatens to spread to more regions of the world is nothing new. It is part of an overall crisis, and it stems from industrial animal farming, which is dominated by transnational companies.
US-EU accord ends beef import rift
7-May-2009 FT
The European Union and the US on Thursday settled a long-running dispute over hormone-treated beef in a deal both sides said demonstrated their determination to reduce bilateral friction amid plunging world trade.
’Food colonialism’ increasing hunger in Africa
6-May-2009 Modern Ghana
The European Union is coercing some West African governments into allowing European-based fishing companies to deplete West Africa’s fishing stocks in a new "food colonialism" that is now taking place between rich and poor countries around the world, according to British author George Monbiot.
EU aims for 15% growth in food exports to China
20-Apr-2009 China Daily
A China-EU FTA is not in the cards, but new European Union initiatives aim to boost EU food exports to China by 15% over the next several years.
Mexican farm expert lobbies for NAFTA change
16-Apr-2009 Oregon Live
The goal is to reverse adverse effects of NAFTA: save and share traditional farming methods, restore food independence and halt the migration of Mexican farmers to the United States.
US to push back on SPS farm trade barriers -Kirk
13-Mar-2009 Reuters
The United States will make it a priority to get rid of barriers to US farm exports based on unjustified sanitary and phytosanitary concerns about human, animal and plant health — including the EU ban on GM crops — the designee for US Trade Representative said on Thursday.
New Asian cattle trade deal
6-Mar-2009 Weekly Times
Australia’s red meat and live cattle export trade to South-East Asia received a boost last week, with the signing of a new trade deal.
Food export potential to Korea highlighted with largest organic deal
23-Jan-2009 AFN
Hakubaku Australia has completed the largest ever export deal for Australian-made organic retail products into Korea with a $300,000 shipment of organic somen noodles to leading Korean food brand Sajo Haepyo, with the assistance of Austrade. This represents the second largest retail coverage for any Australian-made product behind Australian beef and shows the potential impacts of the proposed Australia-Korea FTA.