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agriculture | farmers | food

Peroxyacetic acid rinsing of poultry meat - BEUC position paper published
16-Jul-2014 BEUC
BEUC has just published its position paper on the use of peroxyacetic acid rinses of poultry meat. This chemical wash is currently banned in the EU. However, pressure from the United States might reverse the trend.
Farmers protest China FTA in Seoul
10-Jul-2014 Yonhap
Thousands of South Korean farmers rallied in Seoul on Thursday, protesting Chinese demands for more access to the local agricultural market as part of a planned free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea.
Mexico: FTA’s only help the large poultry producer
4-Jul-2014 World Poultry
The free trade agreements signed by the Mexican government may have advantages for large Mexican companies but create problems for hundreds of poultry farmers in the country.
Seeds of discord or seeds for development – which way for US policy with El Salvador?
4-Jul-2014 Oxfam America
The controversy over government procurement of seeds in El Salvador is a clear example of how US free trade agreements with developing countries can undermine national development goals, as Oxfam warned during the negotiation and debate over CAFTA, writes Stephanie Burgos.
India, Malaysia step up palm oil trade
4-Jul-2014 Hindu Business Line
The Malaysia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement is bolstering Malaysian palm oil imports by India
Progress made on El Salvador deal
3-Jul-2014 Politico
Washington and El Salvador moved closer to agreement on a $277 million U.S. aid package Tuesday after the Obama administration took steps to defuse a contentious trade dispute over a modest Salvadoran program to buy seeds for poor farmers.
US tying aid to agribusiness in El Salvador, groups warn
3-Jul-2014 Mint Press News
The US State Department stands accused of conditioning development aid to El Salvador to benefit and boost foreign agribusiness in the Central American nation.
South Korea’s rice farmers prepare for rough ride from free trade
30-Jun-2014 FT
Korean Peasant League wants the government to negotiate an extension to the rice quota arrangement – as the Philippines did earlier this month. But experts at the agriculture ministry’s public consultations have suggested an alternative option: opening the market while increasing import tariffs from the current 5 per cent to levels as high as 300-500 per cent.
Yes to a sustainable trade policy – no to the TTIP
25-Jun-2014 Brot für die Welt
This short publication highlights some of the potential risks that the EU-US free trade agreement represents to the developing and emerging countries.
Economic Partnership Agreements and agriculture: the challenges for Africa
25-Jun-2014 GRET
African countries that are not LDCs (Least Developed Countries) are now threatened with withdrawal of free access to the European market if they do not ratify an interim agreement with the EU before 1 October 2014
US says ’science’ should settle trans-Atlantic food trade rules
20-Jun-2014 DW
When US farm lobbyists push for "sound science" as the basis for food supply trade rules, what they mean by this term is that they want Europe to eliminate all restrictions on imports of food from the US, and to adopt a US-style food supply regulatory regime, stripped of the precautionary principle.
French concerns over geographical indications will hamper TTIP talks
18-Jun-2014 EurActiv
Wine is a casus belli for the French government, who may block transatlantic negotiations if geographical indications are not protected. EurActiv France reports.
Bill C-18 – CETA combination would entrench corporate control of food system, says NFU
18-Jun-2014 Daily Exchange
Under CETA, Canada has agreed to empower the courts to apply provisional and precautionary measures that include seizure of assets, destruction of equipment, and freezing of bank accounts against someone suspected of intellectual property rights infringement — that is, before any trial takes place. Plant Breeders’ Rights, which would be bolstered through Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act, are included among the intellectual property rights covered by these measures.
Fight rages over definition of Tennessee whiskey
12-Jun-2014 AP
The fight over labels on whiskey bottles comes amid a global drive to seek labeling protections by a smorgasbord of regional foods such as cheeses, hams and wines.
TTIP agreement may be too big not to happen, says USDA
12-Jun-2014 Farmers Guardian
The US and the European Union may be too big for a free-trade deal not to happen, says USDA chief economist Joseph Glauber
US farmers call for Japan to be excluded from TPP
7-Jun-2014 Tax News
United States farming groups are urging that, if Japan continues to insist that it should keep import duties on its ultra-sensitive agricultural products – rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy products, and sugar and starch – it should be excluded from Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.
PNG needs to grow its own food: Minister
3-Jun-2014 Solomon Star News
Trade minister Maru says PNG has an urgent need to negotiate and enter into new trade and investment agreements with Indonesia, Philippines, China and Malaysia in order to produce food locally.
South Africa-Brazil FTAs will impact Namibian beef industry
30-May-2014 New Era
South Africa’s negotiations with Brazil to sign FTAs to allow the import of cheap meat into South Africa will have implications for Namibia.
South Africa-Brazil FTAs will impact Namibian beef industry
28-May-2014
Free trade agreements won’t hold favourable implications for Namibia’s weaner industry and the opportune thing for local producers along with government, is to get together and have a round table discussion to come up with plans on how to convert potential challenges into opportunities.
Call for TPP deal to liberalise beef trade
26-May-2014
Some of the world’s biggest beef producers are urging the countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations not to water down their ambitions for free agricultural trade.