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agriculture | farmers | food

Timing isn’t everything in free trade deals
22-Jan-2010 ABC Rural
A former Australian trade negotiator says farmers should not be concerned that trade deals have not been signed with three key Australian export markets.
An ECFA would be bad news for farmers
21-Jan-2010 Taipei Times
About 280,000 Taiwanese farmers who grow rice, vegetables and other crops could lose their jobs. This does not account for mushrooms, sugar, flowers, fisheries and forestry, therefore the total number of food producers affected will be much higher.
Free trade proposal worries dairy allies
13-Jan-2010 WDT
The last time the United States and New Zealand opened up their agricultural markets to each other, New Zealand’s dairy farmers won greater access to a coveted piece of the US dairy industry. The United States settled for cat food.
ASEAN trade deal under fire
8-Jan-2010 Fruitnet.com
Australia’s free trade agreement with ASEAN is in effect, but Nationals leader Warren Truss sees the deal as a one-way street
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."
EU-Morocco: Accord on agricultural trade liberalisation
22-Dec-2009 ANSAmed
The accord, Brussels explained, reinforces the position of European exporters in the Moroccan market, above all in the processed food sector.
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.
Warning to the government against the corporatization of the Land and the Sea: Blockade!
26-Nov-2009
On 23/11/2009 the South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement (SICCFM) organized a mass rally and blocked the new Mangalore port in Karnataka against the corporatization of land and sea, and the destructive cheap imports of food and crops because of WTO and FTAs
Farmers protest import of edible oils
25-Nov-2009 Mangalorean
Hundreds of farmers from across the State led by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha blocked the main entrance of the New Mangalore Port on Monday in a symbolic protest against the Union Government’s policy allowing the duty-free import of edible oils.
SKorean farmers protest against free trade with US
17-Nov-2009 A Pakistan News
More than twenty thousand South Korean farmers rallied on Tuesday to denounce free trade with the United States, ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit to the country.
Former US representative: Beef row could delay FTA
6-Nov-2009
A former US representative to Taiwan says the row over US beef could delay possible talks for a US-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Former American Institute in Taiwan Director Douglas Paal was speaking in Washington DC on Thursday.
Leuthard keeps to agriculture course
3-Nov-2009 swissinfo
Swiss Economics Minister Doris Leuthard is keeping to the policy of liberalising agriculture, and negotiating an FTA with the European Union, despite mounting criticisms and boot lobbing by angry farmers.
Free trade deal buoys Fonterra
26-Oct-2009
Fonterra chairman Sir Henry van der Heyden says the dairy co-operative will step up investment within Asia because of the Malaysian free trade deal.
U.S. beef decision not linked to trade agreement goal: vice premier
26-Oct-2009
Taiwan’s decision to relax its restrictions against U.S. beef imports has nothing to do with any attempt to resume trade talks with the United States under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) , Vice Premier Eric Lilun Chu said Monday.
Thailand’s demand to cut RP rice tariffs amid calamity insensitive, highlights dangers of free trade deals
26-Oct-2009 IBON Foundation
Research group IBON called insensitive the Thai government’s demand to cut import tariffs on rice, especially since the country is still reeling from the recent typhoon disasters and its food security is threatened. It also highlights the dangers of entering into free trade agreements, which leaves the country no room to maneuver its policies on agriculture and industries.
Canada pushes for lower EU subsidies at trade talks
25-Oct-2009 Canadian Press
Canada is pushing European Union countries to drop subsidies for agricultural products at talks aimed at reaching a bilateral free-trade agreement. European countries want Canada to get rid of its supply management systems for dairy, poultry and egg products.
EU-Egypt trade agreement: exports’ liberalization
23-Oct-2009 Greenmed
Agricultural trade between EU and Egypt has been further liberalized under a revision to the EU-Egypt Association Agreement, causing concern in Spain
Govt to address plantation growers’ woes on FTA
23-Oct-2009 Hindu Businessline
Grievances of plantation growers over India agreeing to cut duties on import of pepper, black tea, coffee and palm oil will be addressed by a Ministers’ panel next week, an official said.
ALBA Alimentos to dodge food crisis
19-Oct-2009 Inside Costa Rica
ALBA Alimentos will emerge as a grand national project aimed at fighting the regional food crisis, said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the 7th Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA).
S.Africa farmers want land in Zimbabwe investment pact
15-Oct-2009 Reuters
While Agri SA has been leading a push for South African farmers to invest and farm in a number of other countries across Africa, including the Republic of Congo, Libya and Zambia, the union has urged its members to stay away from countries where South Africa has no investment protection agreements.