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agriculture | farmers | food

Tony DiMare says— Tomato imports ‘sucking lifeblood’ of US industry
16-Jan-2012 Delta Farm Press
"Why do we need tomatoes from Guatemala? What are we trying to accomplish?" asks Florida grower Tony DiMare
How US policies fueled Mexico’s great migration
12-Jan-2012 ILW
For nearly two decades, Smithfield has used NAFTA and the forces it unleashed to become the world’s largest packer and processor of hogs and pork. But the conditions that helped Smithfield make high profits plunged thousands of rural Mexicans into poverty.
Damage to farming from China FTA could reach $2.8 bil.
12-Jan-2012 Yonhap
Damage to Korea’s farming industry from a free trade agreement (FTA) with China may reach up to $2.8 billion, reports said Thursday, urging the Seoul government to be cautious in its FTA negotiations with China.
Agriculture stands to lose in possible South Korea-China FTA
10-Jan-2012
President Lee Myung-bak agreed to begin the necessary "domestic procedures" for opening formal negotiations on a South Korea-China free trade agreement during a summit meeting Monday afternoon with Chinese president Hu Jintao at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
Seoul to expand help for fishing, agricultural sectors under free trade deals
2-Jan-2012
South Korea will expand its support for the fishery and agricultural sectors to ease their losses from a massive influx of outside products under free trade agreements (FTAs), the finance ministry said Monday.
New EU trade agreement: Right to food in India threatened
12-Dec-2011 Ecofair Trade Dialogue
MISEREOR, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Third World Network, Anthra and Glopolis decided to conduct their own civil society impact assessment of the proposed EU-India FTA with a focus on the right to food.
Free trade agreements threaten right to food and health
8-Dec-2011
Just on the day when the government suspended its decision on FDI in the retail sector, a report by United Nations’ Working Group on Human Rights in India pointed that the country’s free trade agreements (FTA) threaten the rights to food, health, work and development, especially of vulnerable groups.
TPP – new playing field with great opportunities and big pressure
6-Dec-2011
When commenting about TPP, experts all agree that this is for first time Vietnam joins the negotiations for multilateral FTA (free trade agreement) with such a fast pace, broad scope of issues to be touched, and a high level of commitment and complexity.
Mercosur deal threat
5-Dec-2011
Fears were growing this week that Europe could be swamped by South American beef imports under a new trade deal with the region.
New Zealand to Canada: get rid of poultry and dairy quotas
28-Nov-2011
New Zealand’s trade minister has some strong advice for Canada if it wants to enter an emerging Pacific trade group: eliminate tariffs by ditching poultry and dairy quotas.
Supply management on table in EU talks, negotiator says
28-Nov-2011
Canada is willing to talk about its protected farm industries in free trade negotiations with the European Union, but its goal is to keep its protectionist mechanism, supply management, in place, the country’s chief agriculture negotiator said Wednesday.
Harper government should heed calls for freer trade in dairy, poultry
19-Nov-2011
The Harper government should bite the political bullet and agree to start dismantling the controversial supply-management system for dairy, poultry and egg farmers to boost Canada’s access to robust Asia-Pacific markets, analysts said Wednesday.
Pig farmers say imports cause bankruptcies, violate trade pact
5-Nov-2011
Pig farmers denounced that thus far this year the Agriculture Ministry has approved the import of nearly 6,000 tons of pork meat beyond the amount approved for the entire 2011, violating the Free Trade Agreement’s (DR-CAFTA) tariff quota.
Free trade pacts bad for business: Colombian milk association
5-Nov-2011
Colombia’s dairy sector needs government assistance to be able to compete with European farmers, said the president of the national milk producers’ association Friday.
Reformist Japan farmers urge free trade to spur change
27-Oct-2011 Reuters
With farmers like Saito outnumbered by those who fear opening up Japan’s farm market, Prime Minister Noda must face down opposition inside his Democratic Party of Japan if he is to tell US President Barack Obama that Tokyo wants to join the talks when they meet at a Nov. 12-13 Asia-Pacific summit in Hawaii.
Japanese farmers protest against possible trade pact
26-Oct-2011 Reuters
Thousands of Japanese farmers marched through central Tokyo on Wednesday to push the government not to join a regional free trade pact that will likely hit the nation’s small farmers.
SA and the EU trade negotiations - A step closer
20-Oct-2011 FM
In negotiations to forge an economic partnership agreement (EPA), the EU has agreed to improve market access for about 80% of the agricultural products South Africa has asked to be accepted. However, the EU has yet to budge on wine, sugar and starch.
ACP, LDC sugar suppliers deplore EC’s CAP proposals
20-Oct-2011 ACP
The ACP and LDC cane sugar suppliers express their profound concern and dismay at the Commission’s proposals in respect of the elimination of sugar quotas in the context of the CAP reform announced on 12 October 2011.
ACP, LDC sugar suppliers deplore EC’s CAP proposals
20-Oct-2011
’Buy local’ food policies not at risk in EU deal: Ritz
13-Oct-2011
Canada’s agriculture minister says he’s heard nothing in European free trade talks that would jeopardize policies favouring local food suppliers, but the National Farmers Union says a draft text suggests otherwise.