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Sowing a bitter harvest
One outcome of the Indo-US deal on Agriculture appears to be the deregulation of the GM foods sector.
Colombia: A significant market for US red meat upon FTA ratification
The US Meat Export Federation estimates that around 50 percent of pork production in Colombia comes from family-owned farms
US pork dependent on new trade agreements
The future of the US pork industry depends on concluding new trade agreements, the National Pork Producers Council today told congressional lawmakers.
’EU undermining agriculture in Africa’
Europe is undermining its own efforts to strengthen African agriculture by foisting free trade on the continent, a Ghanaian farm leader has complained.
The perils of free trade in agriculture
It’s the kind of unfair situation that makes poorer nations wonder where the payoff is with free trade: demand for coffee, tea, cocoa, cotton and sugar — which is what many such countries have to offer the world — has risen. Prices paid in the supermarket have risen. Yet the share paid to the farmers who grow these basic agricultural commodities has fallen.
Flab grab
Raj Patel illuminates the failures of the global food system in "Stuffed and Starved"
Forum on food sovereignty in Korea
Jose Bove said that the fight against EPA (Economic Partnership Agreements) is more difficult than the one against WTO because this only involves a few countries.
US-Korean food fight
The US government is working to deny South Koreans the right to local food and to undermine their domestic food safety laws through the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Trade deficit in food safety
Public Citizen has published a new report on the connection between trade agreements that limit US food safety policies to facilitate trade and the growing safety threat posed by US food imports
Biofuels FTAs menace CentAm ag
The future of Central American agriculture is threatened by developed countries’ demand for biofuels and US-sponsored free trade agreements.
Pachamama goes organic: Bolivia’s quinoa farmers
Bolivia joined the ALBA-TCP pact in 2006, and the government has earmarked $1.5 million for quinoa growers out of the $100 million provided by Chávez for investments benefiting small farmers. This will include credit for at least five quinoa-related projects in the southern altiplano.
Falling into a spaghetti bowl: A review of the impact of FTAs on Thailand
This paper is an attempt to bring together and review the few pieces of information on the effect of FTAs in Thailand with a particular emphasis on the agricultural sector.
Fear not farmers in Australia, Asia told
Trade Minister Warren Truss has accused China and its neighbours of "unrealistic" fears that 140,000 farmers in Australia could wipe out a billion farmers in Asia if there were free trade in agriculture.
Starving the poor
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
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
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
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.
Green Revolution and free trade
Hiding behind the controversy over the Gates and Rockefeller foundations plan to re-introduce a "Green Revolution" into Africa is the real problem with food production in developing countries: Free trade.
Declaration of Nyéléni
What are we fighting against? Imperialism, neo-liberalism, neo-colonialism and patriarchy, and all systems that impoverish life, resources and eco-systems, and the agents that promote the above such as international financial institutions, the World Trade Organisation, free trade agreements, transnational corporations,and governments that are antagonistic to their peoples...
Grassroots organizing, regional trade agreements and food sovereignty in Africa
Grassroots movements have made great strides towards putting the power of the food system in citizens’ hands, but ongoing bi-lateral and regional trade negotiations threaten to curtail these advances.