Trade deal with U.S. could harm Colombia farmers
Source: Reuters
Trade deal with U.S. could harm Colombia farmers
Fri May 18, 2012 12:20pm EDT
By Diana Delgado
BOGOTA, May 18 (Reuters) - Colombia promised that a free trade agreement with the United States will create jobs and stimulate the economy, but farmers in the Andean nation fear their livelihoods are at risk and they will become prey of large U.S. agribusiness.
The government said the accord, which came into effect this week, will add as much as 1 percentage point of growth to the economy and trim two percentage points from unemployment. Small-scale farmers, however, fear that the local market will succumb to cheap U.S. exports and that thousands will lose their jobs.
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Textile, leather, cocoa, tobacco and jewelry producers stand to benefit from the Free Trade Agreement, or FTA. But the flip side of the deal is that thousands of small-scale Colombian farmers - including poultry, cattle, dairy, grain and bean producers - will come face to face with large U.S.-based agribusiness.
A study by several economists published by local rights organization Planeta Paz concluded that the Colombian market will be swamped with cheap U.S. food products.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/18/colombia-usa-trade-idUSL1E8GED6I20120518?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssTechMediaTelecomNews&rpc=401
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