What are the other organizations critical analysis of this issue?

[grassfarmer]

Press Release

NFU urges Ag Committee to recommend rejection of CETA

(Saskatoon) – The National Farmers Union (NFU) was pleased to provide comments on the agricultural impacts of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to the House of Commons Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee. The NFU was invited to appear as a witness at the Committee’s recent meeting studying the CETA agreement. The meeting was curtailed due to a vote in the House, so the NFU has submitted a written brief.

The CETA negotiations have been completed, but so far, the agreement has not been ratified or adopted. The NFU is urging the Agriculture Committee to recommend that CETA not be adopted, as it provides little to no benefit for Canadian farmers, yet will cause serious negative impacts.

The NFU highlighted the harm to Canada’s dairy farmers and their communities that would result from Canada’s concession to the EU, allowing it to sell an additional 18,500 tonnes of cheese in Canada. “Under our supply management system, Canadian dairy farmers earn their income from the marketplace,” noted Ann Slater, NFU Vice-President, Policy. “In contrast, European dairy farmers obtain 30 – 60% of their incomes from direct subsidy payments. CETA thus undermines a stable farm sector in Canada by replacing part of our domestic market – and all its related employment -- with subsidized EU product.”

CETA provides additional tariff-free market access for beef and pork, over and above Canada’s existing and unused access for beef produced without growth hormones and pork produced without the drug ractopamine. “CETA will not lift the EU's long-standing ban on meat produced with the use of growth promoters because EU consumers are committed to quality food, even if it costs more,” said Jan Slomp, NFU President. “CETA negotiators have made a bad deal for Canadian farmers by trading a real Canadian cheese market for fictional European beef and pork market access.”

CETA will also constrain the ability of governments at all levels to use economic and regulatory tools. Public procurement measures in CETA mean that Canadian municipal and provincial governments, as well as public institutions such as universities, hospitals and prisons, will not be able to use “buy local” policies to support farmers and food processors in their own areas.

“The Investor State Dispute Settlement mechanisms in CETA allow EU corporations to sue Canadian governments if they believe a law or regulation passed in the public interest will reduce their future profits,” said Terry Boehm, Chair of the NFU Seed and Trade Committee. “Such disputes would not be settled by the courts but by paid tribunals that would have the power to order governments to withdraw the disputed rule and/or pay compensation to the company. This is profoundly undemocratic.”

“We often hear government talking about competitiveness. In international trade, this is simply about price: our government is using trade deals such as CETA to force Canadians into a race to the bottom. As farmers we are told to just produce more, by using more inputs, and that the government will help us export more of our farm produce through trade deals,” said Slater. “European consumers are not necessarily looking for cheap food. Instead they tend to spend more of their income on food so that they can eat higher quality food, which includes non-GM grains, beef produced without hormones, and pork produced without ractopamine.”

“Our submission to the Ag Committee shows that increased exports have not led to an increase in net income for farmers,” added Boehm. “When our products, including agricultural output, are sold on the world market for less, that does not benefit Canadians – but it does benefit the global corporations that scour the world seeking the lowest cost inputs for their manufacturing processes.”

“The impacts of CETA point to the conclusion that our government is not looking out for the best interests of Canadian people or Canadian farmers, but is instead acting on behalf of global corporations,” said Slater.

[mustardman]

Unfortunately the Nfu is the only one paying attention

[tweety]

A different perspective.

http://www.commodityonline.com/news/grain-growers-bring-canadian-crops-to-the-world-60523-3-60524.html


Grain Growers bring Canadian crops to the world

When CETA comes into force, almost 94 per cent of EU agricultural tariffs lines will be duty-free. This has a beneficial impact for Canadian grain farmers as they look for new markets.
11 Nov 2014

OTTAWA(Commodity Online): Speaking at the Global Grain Geneva Conference in Geneva, Switzerland this week, Grain Growers of Canada President Gary Stanford will highlight the strength of Canada’s grain export market as well as the vital importance of Free Trade Agreements like the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union.

Stanford’s session, entitled “Canadian Grain Trade Strategy” is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2014 at 11:30 am Central European Time at the Intercontinental Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland.

“Canada is the fifth largest exporter of agriculture and agri-food products in the world,” said Stanford. “That is why it is so important that grower groups represent Canada at such international events and show the world what we have to offer.”

Under CETA, the Government of Canada is creating new and historic opportunities in the EU for agricultural exporters from across the country. When CETA comes into force, almost 94 per cent of EU agricultural tariffs lines will be duty-free. This has a beneficial impact for Canadian grain farmers as they look for new markets and expanded revenue streams.

Stanford will also discuss life in the new grain marketing freedom environment. International audiences are particularly interested in the market effects of ending the single-desk monopoly.

As a lifelong family farmer Mr. Stanford will speak first-hand to his experiences and those of the members of the Grain Growers of Canada.

The Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 50,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 14 provincial and regional grower groups, representing wheat, durum, barley, canola, oat, corn, soybean, pea, lentil, rye, and triticale farmers from across Canada. Our mission and mandate is to pursue a policy environment that maximizes global competitiveness and to influence federal policy on behalf of independent Canadian grain farmers and their associations.

[sawfly]

you have to look at the two statements
carefully.
the NFU one has numbers and rules and regulations.to digest.

the grain growers one has none of that.
just political goble speak, mom, apple
pie, no substance

[sumdumguy]

How do supply managed commodities fit into the deal?

[mbdog]

The price of supply managed products...where does a person find out how it is established?

[Hopalong]

SUpply management and the old wheat board monopoly were birds of a feather.
Competitors and trade negotiators use them to protect their own protectionist policy.
Who can forget the wheat board campaign against a new WTO agreement that threatened iits existence?
We have gone halfway towards ending our own two big protectionist sacred cows, time to go the rest of the way.

[farmaholic]

In my opinion Supply Managed sectors in Canada are simply "subsidized" by the consumer. Since there is no competition outside(or inside for that matter) the quotas, the price of those products are maintained at their levels, whether that's high or LOW, because there are no options.

Are those industries so important that a supply be maintained and protected by a supply managed scenario. Would you ever like to see an empty milk shelf at the grocery store? No eggs? Just saying, do you want to put your food security in the hands of an open market?

[tweety]

Actually sawfly, the only number that matters is the reduction of 94% of tariffs.

[tweety]

It does show the influence of the NFU's SM membership, there's that word again, has on the policy direction of the NFU. They are willing to throw grain farmers under the bus to protect SM.

[CptnObvious]

Mustardman and sawfly have it right.
CETA will remove most tariffs( yay!)
The average current tariff is 2%( oh.)
Non-tariff barriers will remain in place( crap.)
Any sovereign nation within the E.U. can still opt out( double crap.)
We made lots of deals like this: we gave up cheese to get more beef exports but we only fill just over 1/3 of our limit now.

[grassfarmer]

If prices a farmer receive are "simply "subsidized" by the consumer" isn't that the ideal? isn't that the "free market that you speak of? - the consumer paying the production cost of the product allowing the producer to earn a living for his labor and investment?

Specific to the grain and oilseed sector could someone highlight the tariffs and trade restrictions there currently are on Canadian products going into the EU and how these will change under CETA?

[CptnObvious]

Canadian milk is slightly more expensive than U.S. milk but remember, you free marketers, their milk is subsidized over 30 cents/gal. Canadian milk costs a little more but our farmers are paid waaaay better because the U.S. system averages 50% capacity( they never know how much is coming and must be prepared) while we run at 80%. Much less idle capital.
If we lose orderly marketing milk production will shift south where it is cheaper to winter cattle and to hire labour.

[farmaholic]

I may argue that it is subsidized by the consumer but some things are just worth protecting in my opinion.

[mbdog]

what producer receives is a component of consumer price. I'd like to know how consumer price is determined/established. Breakdowns/explanations please.