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agriculture | farmers | food

Farmers plead with govt over Japan FTA
13-Dec-2006 The West Australian
Australian farmers have pleaded with the federal government not to forget them when it meets with Japan for negotiations on a free trade agreement next year.
Aust, Japan free trade agreement likely worth billions
13-Dec-2006 ABC
Despite growing concern in Japan over the impact a free trade agreement could have on local farmers, Prime Minister John Howard and his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe have agreed to begin formal negotiations in the new year. Mr Howard says agriculture will be included.
Farmers demand EU deal
11-Dec-2006 The Standard
Flower exporters have asked the Kenyan government to ensure that it signs an agreement with the European Union (EU) before the General Elections next year.
US bilateral free trade agreements in Asia
8-Dec-2006 IRDF
In an effort to create more informed actions among groups working on food sovereignty and fairer trade rules in the region, the Asia Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty launched a research on US FTAs that looked at the common features of existing US FTAs and those that are being negotiated in the region like the US-Thailand FTA and analyzed their implications on developing countries’ agriculture particularly on small-scale farmers’ livelihoods; food security; farmers’ access to and control of their land, seed and productive resources; and rural development.
Key US senator hoists beef to top of FTA agenda
5-Dec-2006 Chosun Ilbo
The influential US senator Max Baucus, nicknamed “Mr. Beef”, on Sunday said Korea should completely lift its ban on US beef imports if it wants a free trade agreement with the US.
“Davao pesticide poisoning to expand and increase with JPEPA!”-KMP and APC
3-Dec-2006
The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and the Asian Peasant Coalition lambasted the Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. for causing the pesticide poisoning of at least 79 people in Davao del Norte, Philippines, stressing that "such poisonings would increase and expand when the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) is ratified.”
Japanese farmers oppose FTA with Australia
1-Dec-2006 ABC
Australia’s proposed Free Trade Agreement with Japan is facing stiff opposition from Japanese farmers. The deal, if finalised, would be Australia’s largest bilateral trade agreement, and could open the traditionally closed Japanese market to Australian agricultural products. But Japanese farmers say the deal puts their futures at risk.
The mass people’s resistance against KorUS FTA has started - KoA
29-Nov-2006 KoA
The Korean government repression that began on November 22nd is continuing to spread like a forest fire. However, the people’s struggle to block the KorUS FTA will not end here.
A critique of the Asian Peasant Coalition against JPEPA
29-Nov-2006
Filipinos will just be getting crumbs for all the trouble and hardship that this agreement would entail. We urge the rural people to oppose JPEPA, launch campaign, education and action against the one-sided agreement. We call on our fellow farmers in Asia, especially in Japan, to help us campaign against this pact.
Canada seeks wider agricultural access in FTA talks
28-Nov-2006 Korea Herald
Canada has pushed for wider access to Korea’s agriculture market during the eighth round of talks for a bilateral free trade agreement last week.
Furor over JPEPA: Will Davao’s banana workers benefit from it?
27-Nov-2006 Davao Today
Most of the bananas from Davao are exported to Japan by Japanese companies such as Sumitomo. These companies and their contract growers or affiliates in Mindanao will benefit from any lowered tariff under JPEPA, not the farmers and plantation workers.
Thailand asks Korea to liberalise agricultural trade terms
23-Nov-2006 MCOT
Commerce Minister Krirkkrai Jirapaet on Wednesday reiterated that Thailand would not sign an ASEAN-Korea free trade area (FTA) agreement unless Korea agrees to liberalise its policies on agricultural products, especially rice.
All foods on the table in trade talks with Japan
15-Nov-2006 The Australian
Free access for all Australian farm products to the Japanese market will be on the table when free trade agreement negotiations start, but some won’t be there at the finish.
Panelists want eight more FTAs, no farm snags
4-Nov-2006 Japan Times
Four private-sector members of Japan’s key governmental economic panel insist that Tokyo should triple the number of its FTA partners in two years.
PM has suggested agriculturists to study FTA and plan for long-term
1-Nov-2006 Thais News
Thailand’s Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has advised farmers to study the impacts of the China-ASEAN free trade area (FTA) and find ways to handle them.
Farmers picket Japanese embassy over economic pact
28-Oct-2006 INQ7.net
About 20 Filipino farmers picketed outside the Japanese embassy Friday to protest the Japanese-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
“Stop ROK-US FTA - making consumers exposed to serious food danger"
28-Oct-2006 VOP
While the 4th US-Kore FTA were in progress in Jeju Island, 101 scholars related to sociology issued a statement, urging the suspension of the negotiations. They noted that “the ROK-US FTA are highly universal problems directly related to the food safety and sovereignty of all people.”
About 10,000 farmers protest over US-S Korea trade talks
24-Oct-2006 All Headline News
In the wake of protests from thousands of farm activists and unionists, South Korean and U.S. negotiators resumed controversial free-trade talks on Monday, on the resort island of Cheju.
S Korean island urges US negotiators to remove oranges from FTA
24-Oct-2006 Asia Pulse
As the host of ongoing free trade talks with the United States, the South Korean island of Jeju appealed on Monday for Washington’s negotiators to exclude oranges from a bilateral trade pact that is being planned.
Dole Fresh Flowers’ cuts hit small Ecuadorean town hard
19-Oct-2006 Miami Herald
In many ways, the flower industry in Ecuador put this small town on the map. Now, just as quickly, it may be erasing it.