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RCEP & agriculture

The RCEP trade deal will significantly impact agriculture and possibly deepen the damage to food sovereignty caused by previous trade agreements including those of the WTO.

The RCEP would threaten livelihoods in sectors like dairy, meat and other agricultural products by allowing duty free imports of subsidised products from Japan, New Zealand and Australia. India, with 100 million small scale dairy producers, and Vietnam are among the countries that will be most affected.

A leaked IP chapter proposed for the RCEP pushes for accession by all RCEP member states to the 1991 Act of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 1991). Among the RCEP’s 16 countries, only seven are members of UPOV– the other nine (including Thailand, India, Indonesia and Philippines) would have to change their laws. UPOV 1991 provides monopoly rights to plant breeder rights at the cost of farmers’ rights. It makes it illegal, even criminal, for farmers to save seeds of protected varieties. CSOs have calculated that as a result of UPOV 1991, seed prices would go up by 200-600% in Thailand and by 400% in the Philippines.

Agrochemical sales and use in the Asia and Pacific region would also be boosted as a result of RCEP’s market access rules expanding trade in goods. Data exclusivity provisions in the IP chapter may also extend the patent protection periods of such products, putting upward pressure on food prices.

Another clear threat is land grabbing. If adopted, the leaked investment chapter and services chapter of RCEP may each provide that RCEP members may not discriminate against foreign corporations that want to buy local farmland. In many RCEP countries, this is not possible under current law and could have serious repercussions for agrarian reform in the region.


Analysis | India has rightly shunned RCEP for now
India’s decision to stay out of the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, Asia’s mega free-trade agreement (FTA), has been met both with a sense of approval and disappointment and divided economists on the issue.
Fears world’s biggest trade deal could spark conflicts, hurt farmers
An Asia-Pacific trade deal backed by China could hurt small scale farmers, cause more land conflicts, and leave workers in poorer nations without protection as they struggle to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, human rights groups said on Friday.
Japan to keep tariffs on sensitive farm product imports in RCEP deal
Japan will exempt its key farm products including rice and wheat from being subject to tariff cuts or elimination in a mega regional trade deal between Asia-Pacific countries including China, a draft of the agreement showed Tuesday.
RCEP will undermine fight against COVID19 pandemic
The 15 governments must consider the adverse impact of the mega FTA and put an end to trade agreements such as RCEP as they only increase protection and power of multinational corporations.
Collectively to reject the RCEP negotiations in the middle of a pandemic
Amid the pandemic Covid-19 outbreak with the protocol health of all States, the trade negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is still ongoing. The Government should use the momentum of the pandemic to assess thorough draft related agreements RCEP.
What does India’s RCEP withdrawal tell us? – Analysis
Given the current ease and widespread access to information as well as the social media-facilitated civil mobilizations across the globe, political elites of the RCEP countries should be consistently mindful of such risk from the grassroot level.
India’s withdrawal from RCEP a breather on many fronts
India’s decision to pull out of RCEP means its policy on access to inexpensive drugs will not be under pressure.
Rejecting RCEP preserved India’s milk self-sufficiency’
The decision of keeping India out of the Regional Comprehension Economic Partnership (RCEP) has helped crores of farmers and prevented the likely shift shift of India from a self-sufficient milk producer to importer.
Decision to keep away from RCEP, right move on part of India
India, in recent days, is faced with Hamletian dilemma. To join or not to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade association consisting of 16 nations including India.
After RCEP, farmers’ body seeks termination of existing FTAs
After prevailing upon the Centre to drop out of the RCEP treaty, farmers organizations has urged the MPs to prevail upon the Union government to terminate the other existing FTA inimical to the livelihood of farmers in the country.
India has to withdraw formally and fully from RCEP negotiations & similar FTAs: Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements (ICCFM)
Reacting to the developments in Thailand, with countries in RCEP negotiations deciding to go ahead for now without India, farmer leaders in India stated that this is a good development, and that India will not lose in any manner.
China urges RCEP members to include India in trade bloc
A Chinese state-run English daily said, “the countries involved in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership shouldn’t lose the chance to include India."
RCEP: A rural disaster
The disastrous impact of the Indo-Sri Lanka FTA and ASEAN FTA on Indian farmers especially in the plantation sector is well known. RCEP would be worse than ASEAN FTA
Peasants and small scale food producers in India intensify their protest against RCEP free trade agreement
On 24th October and thereafter, thousands of farmers organized under the Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movement (ICCFM) and ally groups carried out coordinated actions and demonstrations reject RCEP.
Farmers’ organisations call for rejecting RCEP agreement
The leaders of various farmers’ associations in the State have called upon the Union government to reject the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.
Farmers’nation-wide protests against RCEP go unnoticed
The widespread protests by hundreds of farmers across the country against the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) went unnoticed by and large.
Why the rice trade wants India in the RCEP
The Indian rice trade is keen that the cereal is included as part of the agreement as it could help boost exports.
Karnataka farmers, planters oppose proposed Free Trade Agreement
The farmers from Mandya, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Hassan and other districts staged a massive protest against the proposal as they are apprehensive that the duty-free import of milk products will affect their livelihood.
Telangana farmers plan protests against RCEP on Oct 25
The All-India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) will organise protests, demanding the Union Government to withdraw from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Shivamogga Milk Federation, farmers oppose RECP pact, demands exclusion of milk
Shivamogga Milk Federation along with milk producers staged a protest against the inclusion of milk in the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.