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agriculture | farmers | food

Trade future isn’t rosy in Ecuador
20-May-2007 Sun Sentinel
Washington might decide this summer not to renew the trade benefits that allow Ecuador to sell roses and other items duty-free to the United States. As many as 250,000 jobs are at risk in Ecuador’s flower industry alone.
Starving the poor
17-May-2007 The News International
The connection between instability in the Middle East and the cost of feeding a family in the Americas isn’t direct, of course. But as with all international trade, power tilts the balance.
Letter from Lebanon: Farmers risk losing big
13-May-2007 Scoop
As Lebanon heads down the fast track to trade liberalisation, some commentators are predicting a devastating impact on small-holder farmers. Unable even to sell produce on the Lebanese market let alone for export, farmers are painfully unprepared to compete with subsidised imports. Yet little is being done to fortify the agricultural industry as the fruits of major bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) and liberalising reforms loom on the near horizon.
NPPC applauds deal to vote on trade agreements
11-May-2007
The National Pork Producers Council has applauded the Bush administration’s House Speaker Pelosi and congressional leadership for reaching a bi-partisan deal to move forward free trade agreements that will enable increased exports of US pork.
Japan to draw up farmland reforms to keep up with global FTA trend
11-May-2007 Kyodo
Japan will draw up a package of farmland reform measures by this fall in a bid to enhance the competitiveness of its ailing agricultural sector and keep up with the global trend of sealing free trade agreements, a key government economic panel said Wednesday.
FTA with EU to hurt S Korea’s alcohol, meat, dairy sectors: report
7-May-2007 Yonhap
A free trade pact with the European Union (EU) is expected to hurt South Korea’s alcoholic beverage, meat and dairy sectors, a report by Nonghyup Management Institute, a semi-official research institute. said Monday.
FTAs ’will hurt small farmers’
6-May-2007
The Thai government should come up with concrete measures to assist small-scale farmers, who are likely to be adversely affected by bilateral free-trade agreements. Otherwise they will be forced to go out of business. This is the view of a Commerce Ministry official who has been involved in several bilateral trade negotiations.
FTA threat enough to hurt beef producers
4-May-2007
South Korea and the United States have yet to ratify a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), but South Korean beef producers are already in a state of collapse. Wholesale prices of South Korean beef, or hanu, continue to plunge as producers dump beef on the market, fearing over an influx of American and Canadian beef.
South Korea trade deal ’close’
3-May-2007
South Korea will lift its ban on Canadian beef within the next three weeks, allowing the two countries to complete a free-trade agreement in the near future, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay predicted yesterday.
Canadian FM calls for lifting of ban on beef imports before FTA talks
2-May-2007
Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay on Wednesday called on South Korea to remove its ban on Canadian beef imports, saying it could be a stumbling block in talks for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).
Ghana, Burkina Faso must implement protocols
1-May-2007
The Ghana Trade and Livelihoods Coalition (GTLC) has appealed to the governments of Ghana and Burkina Faso to facilitate an unconditional implementation of the protocol on the free movement of persons, goods and services within the West African sub-region.
Cotonou’s demise - Namibia to lose millions
30-Apr-2007
The end of the World Trade Organisation waiver for Cotonou trade preferences at the end of this year will cost Namibia hundreds of millions, considering that the country’s agricultural and fish exports are built on the preferences.
Growing sense that Caribbean-EC negotiations may be in trouble
29-Apr-2007
A few days ago an influential political friend of the region asked about the current state of the negotiations between the Caribbean and the Europe for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
EU concessions to African farmers suspect
29-Apr-2007
The recent trade concessions by the European Union to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries mean little in real terms, says an international non-governmental organisation.
South Korea accepts U.S. beef
27-Apr-2007
For the first time in over three years, South Korea accepted a shipment of U.S. beef Friday. South Korea had rejected three previous shipments of U.S. beef since officially re-opening its market in September of 2006.
Free trade agreements come in for criticism
25-Apr-2007
Bahrain yesterday said it was a “shame” to allow agricultural issues to upstage the WTO negotiations, while Iran held that the increasing free trade pacts have undermined inter-regional dialogues and called for a regional economic and security council.
NZ wants FTA talks with Japan
25-Apr-2007 Japan Today
New Zealand farm minister Jim Anderton expressed hope Tuesday that Japan will start talks to conclude a free trade agreement with the country after completing its recently commenced FTA negotiations with Australia.
JPEPA: The Philippine fall into the IPR bilateral trap
25-Apr-2007 SEARICE
The Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement poses serious questionable intellectual property provisions which ultimately undermine the rights of Filipino farmers, communities and the public in general.
S.K.-Canada FTA talks set to cover similar ground as those with U.S.
23-Apr-2007
During Korea-Canada free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, set to resume in their 10th round on April 23, Canada is reportedly going to bring to the table proposals on sensitive issues, such as its access to the South Korean beef market. The same issue brought controversy to the FTA between South Korea and the U.S., a deal agreed upon on April 2.
A juicy deal
21-Apr-2007
Sunny prospects for the state’s citrus industry are among many good reasons for Florida’s members of Congress to get behind a proposed free-trade agreement between the United States and South Korea.