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agriculture | farmers | food

Korean bishops warn against US FTA
11-Jul-2006 CathNews
In a message for the Church’s Farmers’ Sunday this week, Korean bishops and farmers have warned against the destruction of the local farming sector as a result of a Free Trade Agreement with the US.
FTA Sanction Betrays Peru Farming
4-Jul-2006
Antolin Huascar, president of the National Coordination Office against the Free Trade Agreement, branded the ratification of that deal with the US as treason to the Peruvian farming world.
WTO chief Pascal Lamy upbeat about global trade talks
3-Jul-2006
The World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy is upbeat about global trade talks, with the U.S. having indicated that it will go further to cut trade distorting farm subsidies. He is also expecting better offers from all the other major players in the round, including the European Union and the Group of 20 that includes India, Brazil and China, during the mini-ministerial conference next week in Geneva.
Canada urges S Korea to remove beef, pork tariffs
3-Jul-2006
Canada has urged South Korea to remove tariffs on beef and pork as part of envisioned bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), government officials said Monday.
Guatemalans Occupy Farms Rejecting FTA
3-Jul-2006
Guatemalan farmers occupy Sunday six state farms in the country’s north and eastern regions for three consecutive days, protesting against the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with United States.
Peru approves free-trade pact with U.S.
28-Jun-2006
Peru’s Congress overwhelmingly voted to ratify a free trade pact with the United States early Wednesday.
Farmers Disrupt FTA Hearing
27-Jun-2006
Angry farmers and activists effectively disrupted a public hearing on ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) talks between Korea and the United States, Tuesday, leading to their suspension.
Economic Partnership Agreements: Family farmers speak out!
22-Jun-2006
At the initiative of the Network of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organizations of West Africa (ROPPA), leaders of three small farmers’ networks from ACP regions met in parallel to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Vienna on 19 June 2006 to assess the process of negotiation of Economic Partnership Agreements between their regions and the European Union.
Agricultural bodies file suit over US-SK trade agenda
21-Jun-2006 Hankyoreh
The Korean Peasants League and the Korea Dairy & Beef Farmers Association have filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade over the ministry’s reluctance to share information with them related to the first round of South Korean-US free trade talks that concluded in Washington last week.
Seoul blamed for stalled FTA talks with Tokyo: Japan envoy
20-Jun-2006
Negotiations on a free trade pact between South Korea and Japan remain in a stalemate because Seoul is demanding too many concessions in the agricultural sector from Tokyo, a top Japanese envoy said Tuesday.
BIO letter to USTR on US-Korea FTA
20-Jun-2006
Letter from the US Biotechnology Industry Organisation to the US Trade Representative on intellectual property, GM labelling, biosafety, GM contamination and other issues BIO wants addressed under the US-Korea FTA talks.
BIO letter to USTR on US-Malaysia FTA
20-Jun-2006
Letter from the US Biotechnology Industry Organisation to the US Trade Representative on intellectual property, GM labelling, biosafety, GM contamination and other issues BIO wants addressed under the US-Malaysia FTA talks.
CAFTA threatens small farmers
20-Jun-2006
Three times a week, Julian Mux walks two hours from his small parcel of land in the Guatemalan highlands to the nearest road, carrying just-harvested miniature zucchini that will end up in U.S. supermarkets.
Small farmers wary of CAFTA
20-Jun-2006
Whether the nation is ready or not, the 800-page DR-CAFTA treaty, replete with new rules and regulations, is set to become reality for the country.
US draws distinct lines on what Congress will reject in Korea FTA
16-Jun-2006 Yonhap
A senior US senator drew clear lines Wednesday on what the Congress will not accept in a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea, including imports from an industrial complex inside North Korea.
Song of the sirens: Why the US-Andean FTAs undermine sustainable development and regional integration
14-Jun-2006 Oxfam
US free trade agreements with Peru and Colombia, as well as the possible agreement with Ecuador, were negotiated under the promise of great opportunities in the world’s richest market, but the truth is that these agreements will have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of small farmers, public health, and the regulation of investment to protect the public interest.
Peru’s Alan Garcia to revise free trade deal with the US
14-Jun-2006 Pravda
In a news conference in Lima last week, Garcia suggested one change he might seek would be to add language to discourage Peru’s importing of subsidized US crops.
Korea pledges to protect farmers in FTA talks
13-Jun-2006
South Korea aims to protect sensitive agricultural products even if a free trade agreement (FTA) is signed with the United States, a government negotiator said Tuesday.
Uruguay: ’We are not going to sign the FTA with the US’
12-Jun-2006 Green Left Weekly
“We are not going to sign the TLC [Free Trade Agreement] with the United States”, said Hugo Rodriguez, secretary of the Chamber of Senators and director of the Uruguayan Socialist Party. “But we are in a difficult situation.”
Mercosur-EU Relations - Historical background and perspectives
12-Jun-2006 Eyes on Europe
Despite the promised benefits for both sides, and in particular for Mercosur, there are few chances for significant changes to occur in the EU’s protectionism in its agricultural sector which would favour Mercosur. Considering this, Mercosur countries should be more concerned that the signature of an agreement based on limited market access concessions for few products is not an important step forward.