What happens to small-scale farmers when barriers to international trade are eliminated?
1. Overall, international trade agreements benefit agribusiness to the detriment of small-scale farmers. According to the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC): “Current US agriculture policy allows agriculture products to be sold on the international market far below their cost of production which benefits mainly agribusiness corporations and very large farming operations. These policies allow these large players to buy cheap and sell across international borders wherever they can make the most profit, while underselling local farmers both in the U.S. and abroad, and intensifying rates of poverty since family farmers worldwide are unable to compete.” 2. Small-scale farmers in the U.S. do not benefit from gaining access to other countries’ markets. Trade agreements are written for business interests, and put the primary focus of discussions on increasing PROFITS for US corporations, and decreasing PRICES for consumers. Agribusinesses can increase profits even while commodity prices dec
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