For farmers, so-called “Free Trade” agreements do two things simultaneously: By removing tariffs, quotas, and duties, these agreements erase the economic borders between nations and force the world’s one billion farmers into a single, hyper-competitive market. At the same time, these agreements facilitate waves of agribusiness mergers that nearly eliminate competition for these corporations.

________________________________________

National Farmers Union (Canada)

“Free Trade”: Is it working for farmers?

Comparing 2007 to 1988

October 19, 2007

(This is an expanded and updated version of a report originally published in 2002.)

In January 1989, Canada implemented the historic Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (CUSTA). In January 1994, Canada implemented the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). And in January 1995, we implemented the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture (AoA).

We’ve had 19 years of “Free Trade.” How is it working for farm families and rural communities? To help us find out, the following compares economic indicators from 1988 (the year before we set off down the Free Trade path) with those of 2007. Figures are not adjusted for inflation.

[See attached PDF for figures]

Why isn’t Free Trade working for farmers?

Farmers have doubled and re-doubled exports, adopted new technologies, switched to high-value crops, and poured billions of dollars of investments into our farms. At the initiative of our governments, we’ve become signatories to trade agreements. Farmers did everything Free Trade and globalization advocates recommended. And the result is the worst farm income crisis since the 1930s.

Question: Why hasn’t Free Trade yielded the predicted benefits for farmers and rural communities?

Answer: These agreements don’t just shift trade flows, they shift power.

For farmers, so-called “Free Trade” agreements do two things simultaneously:

By removing tariffs, quotas, and duties, these agreements erase the economic borders between nations and force the world’s one billion farmers into a single, hyper-competitive market.

At the same time, these agreements facilitate waves of agribusiness mergers that nearly eliminate competition for these corporations.

Economists agree: when competition increases-as it has for farmers-prices and profits decrease. And when competition decreases-as for agribusiness corporations-prices and profits increase.

Thus, trade agreements and globalization predictably decrease farmers’ prices and profits and increase prices and profits for the dominant agribusiness corporations.

“Free Trade” agreements may increase trade but, much more importantly, they dramatically alter the relative size and market power of the players in the agri-food production chain. For farmers and their net incomes, increased exports may be one of the least significant effects of trade agreements and globalization. Much more significant-perhaps completely overwhelming any potential benefits from increased exports-may be the effect these agreements have on the balance of market power between farmers and agribusiness corporations, because this balance of market power determines the distribution of profits within the agri-food production chain.

Profits are not made, they’re taken.

This graph [see attached PDF] shows that farmers have not benefited from Free Trade or rising exports. Despite such evidence, the federal government continues to push for a new World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement that will, it says, help end the farm crisis. The government also wants to expand NAFTA to the tip of South America with the “Free Trade Area of the Americas” (FTAA). Help reverse this destructive course. Help the NFU get the message to Ottawa: “Free Trade helps Cargill and Monsanto, not farmers.”

Canada Farming Stats

source: NFU

From the Trenches

International Integrated Censuses and Surveys
Here are the highlights:

The FAO constitution states that the organization shall collect, analyse, interpret and disseminate information relating to nutrition, food and agriculture.

Since its establishment, FAO has cooperated with member countries to improve the coverage, consistency and quality of food and agricultural statistics and has established an on-line database of agricultural statistics.

One of the important elements of FAO’s statistical work is the promotion of the decennial World Programme for the Census of Agriculture.

There have now been eight rounds of agricultural censuses and, since its founding in 1945, FAO has been responsible for preparing the guidelines on concepts, definitions, classifications and methodology to help countries plan and carry out their census of agriculture.

FAO also summarizes the results of the agricultural censuses undertaken around the world, and these summaries are available on the Internet.

For this round, a new approach is being used, with the emphasis on conducting agricultural censuses within the framework of the system of integrated agricultural censuses and surveys and in the broader context of the national statistics system.

UNITED STATES CODE ANNOTATED TITLE 42. THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE CHAPTER 6A–PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE SUBCHAPTER II–GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES PART G–QUARANTINE AND INSPECTION

§ 264. Regulations to control communicable diseases

(a) Promulgation and enforcement by Surgeon General

The Surgeon General, with the approval of the Secretary, is authorized to make and enforce such regulations as in his judgment are necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the States or possessions, or from one State or possession into any other State or possession. For purposes of carrying out and enforcing such regulations, the Surgeon General may provide for such inspection, fumigation, disinfection, sanitation, pest extermination, destruction of animals or articles found to be so infected or contaminated as to be sources of dangerous infection to human beings, and other measures, as in his judgment may be necessary.

(b) Apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals

Regulations prescribed under this section shall not provide for the apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals except for the purpose of preventing the introduction, transmission, or spread of such communicable diseases as may be specified from time to time in Executive orders of the President upon the recommendation of the National Advisory Health Council and the Surgeon General.

(c) Application of regulations to persons entering from foreign countries

Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, regulations prescribed under this section, insofar as they provide for the apprehension, detention, examination, or conditional release of individuals, shall be applicable only to individuals coming into a State or possession from a foreign country or a possession.

(d) Apprehension and examination of persons reasonably believed to be infected

On recommendation of the National Advisory Health Council, regulations prescribed under this section may provide for the apprehension and examination of any individual reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease in a communicable stage and (1) to be moving or about to move from a State to another State; or (2) to be a probable source of infection to individuals who, while infected with such disease in a communicable stage, will be moving from a State to another State. Such regulations may provide that if upon examination any such individual is found to be infected, he may be detained for such time and in such manner as may be reasonably necessary. For purposes of this subsection, the term “State” includes, in addition to the several States, only the District of Columbia.

From the trenches,

Celeste

On Wednesday the House of Representatives in Washington State will have a public hearing on the Y2Y issue. This issue was birthed in 1991 and has been slowly working its way through the system. If you think NAIS is an a terrible program it is a cake-walk compared to this wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Please attempt to make the hearing in person. The time of the hearing has been waffling between 8:00 AM and 1:30 PM. Last I heard it wasn’t settled so I am leaving tomorrow and getting there early.

If you attend the hearing make 20 copies of your testimony. One for each committee member and one for each staffer. A few reminders from last year:

• Make sure testimony says For the Record.
• Make sure you sign in when you enter the hearing room and say you oppose SB 5318.
• If you would like to testify orally please indicate so on the sign in sheet.
• Pleasure turn off your cell phone.
• It may be crowded so get there early.

If you can’t make the public hearing please do a Memorandum of Opposition. You will find a template over on the left hand side.

• Make sure you OPPOSE.
• Make your written testimony no longer than 2 pages maximum.
• E Mail to: short.shelly@leg.wa.gov (Shelly is Representative Kretz’s Legislative Assistant)

Link: Celeste Bishop Memorandum of Opposition SB 5318 with pictures

Backgrounder’s:

In the beginning it was the Wildlands Project: http://www.twp.org/cms/index.cfm?group_id=1000

http://www.y2y.net/

Y2Y Partnerships: http://www.y2y.net/people/Y2Ynetwork.asp

Y2Y Grants: http://www.y2y.net/events/minigrants.asp

http://www.sovereignty.net/p/land/mapmabwh.htm

http://www.jbs.org/node/1119

http://www.jbs.org/node/1118

http://www.jbs.org/node/1108

Sunset on the West

Eco Serfdom

Battle for Sustainable Freedom

http://www.urbanwildlands.org/

Man & Biosphere: http://www.unesco.ru/eng/pages/bythemes/mab.php

Deep Ecology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_ecology

The Religion of GAIA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis

From the trenches,

Celeste

We are currently in a war in which propaganda is the name of the game. Propaganda is an effort to influence our thoughts and actions for selfish purposes. We are fooled by propaganda when we do not recognize it for what it is. Government is in a constant struggle to influence the minds of its citizens. One of the greatest tools throughout history is to demonize your foes political and social ideology. Our government was created to enable us to cooperate, to accomplish things we could not accomplish individually. In a democracy, sovereignty is in the people; they possess the ruling power as a citizen. Hence, there is need in the government’s eye for controlling the thoughts and actions of its citizenry.

Are you ready to deal with pandemic influenza without medical treatment, medical supplies, skills? What are our government officials planning and how will it impact you? The link provided takes you to a streaming video that is very informative on what you and your family face in the event of a pandemic influenza or other such event. Heed the advice on preparation.

Business Not As Usual:
Preparing for a Pandemic Flu

Watch a new streaming video by Public Health – Seattle & King County and download resources. Free DVD copies available

From the trenches,

Celeste

The federal and state Departments of Agriculture are engaging in an age old practice of executing a practice and then performing the transference of the guilty deed to another party. In the case of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) they put it back into the hands of industry which was the plan all along. This happened back in biblical times when Judah said to his brothers, “What gain will there be if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites – but let our hand not be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” (Genesis 36,26-7)

A must see power point brought to you by the CDC:

CDC Emerging Disease PPT

From the trenches,

Celeste

International propaganda at its finest
Public Private Partnership: the SSAFFE initiative

(Safe Supply of Affordable Food Everywhere)

Brought to you by:

The SSAFE initiative represents a public-private partnership focused on global food security. SSAFE brings like global food system companies, non-governmental organizations, and universities together with intergovernmental organizations OIE and FAO. Responding to H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, SSAFE sponsored educational and awareness-raising activities promoting biosecurity and safe food handling practices. SSAFE activities are expanding with commitments to far-reaching projects including the “One World, One Health” initiative, veterinary and public health capacity-building in Mozambique and global food safety system leadership development through an international consortium of universities. Building on lessons learned from successful international public-private partnerships of the past, the SSAFE vision is that “All people will have access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food”. The productive partnership with the World Organization for Animal Health, the World Bank, and the Food and Agricultural Organization represent an integral component of the SSAFE strategy. Public-private partnerships are address global animal health issues.

From the WMD Directorate & FBIHQ

Infrastructure Counterterrorism Team

Intel Background on Terrorists

The Bottom Line:

“No known or articulated threat to
U.S. agriculture or food”

Link to WMD/FBI Power Point:
AgroTerrorism

Given the professional evaluation it might be a good idea to back off NAIS and save taxes dollars! Support NAIS-free local farming, your best Homeland Security. What a concept!

From the trenches,

Celeste