Millions of poor farmers prevented from earning a living.

[G_j]

-posting this also as a reminder that the WB/IMF are meeting in DC, making decisions that effect the poor across the globe-
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http://www.maketradefair.com/en/index.php?file=ptd.htm

Kicking Down the Door

“If I had my own way, I'd stop US rice coming into the country – and, I tell you, if it didn't come in, we would have prospered and we'd be out of poverty,”
Read Al-Hassan Abukari Gyebila's story

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Millions of poor farmers around the world are being prevented from earning a living. They can't sell what they grow because rich countries are forcing developing countries to accept imports of cheap, often heavily subsidised, food. Rice provides a good illustration of the threats that poor farmers face.

Rice provides an income for millions of people across the world, many of them smallholders in poor countries where farming is key to combating poverty and promoting development.

Governments in countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia have successfully used agriculture and trade policies to help secure poor farmers' livelihoods and boost rural economies.

However many poor country governments are under pressure to liberalise their economies – to reduce support for poor farmers and cut import tariffs on key crops such as rice. When this happens cheap imports may flood in threatening the livelihoods of millions of farming families and damaging the prospects for rural development.

Since the early 1980s the IMF and World Bank have forced developing countries to deregulate and liberalise their agricultural markets as a condition for receiving loans. In 1995, the IMF forced Haiti to cut its rice tariff from 35% to 3%, with the result that imports more than doubled between 1994 and 2003. Today, three out of every four plates of rice eaten in Haiti come from the USA. This is good news for Riceland Foods of Arkansas, the biggest rice mill in the world. Riceland's profits jumped by $123m between 2002 to 2003, thanks, in large part, to a 50% increase in exports, primarily to Haiti and Cuba. But it has devastated farmers in Haiti, where rice growing areas now have some of the highest levels of malnutrition and poverty.

..more..

[magnussun]

1. Free trade hurts all

Our own farmers and ranchers are losing business to imports too.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. See "Life and Debt," a documentary about the effects of

"free" trade on Jamaica.

I dare any of the free trade advocates to answer the charges made in that film.

[G_j]

3. that film is awesome!

I have not seen anything that so clearly demonstrates the damage structural adjustment policies have done to one country.

highly recommended, not that hard to find and available on DVD and video (great reggae soundtrack too!)

[dcfirefighter]

4. It's not free trade

if our exports are subsidized as heavily as rice is

[peace4all]

5. we need Fair Trade

Free Trade = exploitation

[countryjake]

6. And now google "Mexico corn imports"...

it never fails to amaze me, how people can overlook what our government has done to drive other countries further down into poverty, yet they get all indignant when refugees from those same countries show up to try & get their livings back.

[Jose Diablo]

7. Is there a connection between Riceland Foods and

Clinton? Just because someone is a Democrat, doesn't prove the Democratic principles our party is built-on are embraced by the politician.

How much of the profit Riceland 'earned' off the backs of the poor in Haiti ended up in Clinton's pocket, due to his 'fair trade' legislation.

If it sounds like I don't like Clinton it's because I don't. He is not a Democrat, nor are many in congress that claim to be Democrats. Don't blame just the Republicans for what is going on.

The progressive populist agenda has been under attack for close to 35 years now, from both sides of the aisle. And thats why the party is losing at the election booths. If the party doesn't have 'the people' voting for them, then they are just republicans.

The wealthy have their party, where is 'the peoples' party?

[scarletwoman]

10. "...where is 'the peoples' party?" Yes, that IS the question!

The answer, unfortunately, is that NO "peoples' party" actually exists. Be nice if there were one, though -- but short of a massive reorganization and enlightenment of civil society there won't be one anytime soon.

sw

[sadiesworld]

8. kick

[countryjake]

9. Kick for those who sweat for a living!

These crooked dealings by the US, the WTO, the Monetary Fund, & the World Bank are exactly why our immigration lists are full, our borders are besieged, people the world over are starving, & third-world nations are NOT developing. All under the guise of "economic growth", "free" trade, & "aid" to the poor. Fighting against these policies is the only solution to so many complaints of working people in our country...right now CAFTA is on the table, the sequel to NAFTA, but where is the discussion of it here? Why does your post only get 7 or 8 replies...bringing attention to this also involves so many other issues that usually do get response, like decent jobs, condition of our environment, our own fucked-up economy, human rights, imperialism, & starving people fighting to get their lives back...where can we be effective & what are our priorites? Was CAFTA defeated this month? Does anybody care?