The Landworkers Alliance of England and Wales Statement on forthcoming negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership (TTIP)

Begins:

We are a coalition of farmers, growers and landworkers representing the
interests of small-scale producers across England and Wales. Our
livelihoods are wholly dependent upon resilient local food economies and
cultures, as opposed to export or commodity production As a result our
views are rarely represented by established producer boards and lobbyists
such as the NFU.

We have a number of concerns about the impact on producers of the proposed
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). We would like to
register these concerns and to ask Lord Green to represent these views at
the forthcoming meeting of trade ministers in Washington during the week
of the 8th July 2013.

Firstly; with specific respect to “agricultural produce” the TTIP demands
that the EU relax its food safety import standards and allow U.S.
standards to be considered “equivalent” for the import of food products.
In the past the U.S. has consistently targeted EU food safety standards
which have restricted the import of specific agricultural products – most
notably those which have been genetically modified or subject to
antibiotics or growth hormones banned within the EU.

We believe that the EU’s united opposition to imports of genetically
modified foods, as well as those containing unsafe prophylactics, sends a
clear message to the world that European consumers do not support these
industrial food and farming systems. We support the EU’s defence of the
right to use the “precautionary principle” when considering the import of
agricultural produce and strongly oppose any compromise on this issue.

Secondly; we oppose demands included within the TTIP to cap EU import
tariffs for specific agricultural products, particularly cereals and beef.
Our existing import tariffs currently protect European farmers from having
to compete directly with U.S. producers. Without these tariffs our farmers
would be forced to adopt ever more intensive production methods in order
to compete – even if that produce was to be sold within our own countries,
regions or communities.

We believe that in a globalised food economy these import tariffs are
essential in order to protect our traditional European farm produce and
cultures from further erosion through U.S. imports. We defend our right as
small farmers to a livelihood that can be supported by consumers who are
willing to pay the true cost of production of their food. Any concessions
on import tariffs for agricultural produce will severely undermine this
right and result in unfair competition across local, as well as regional
and national markets.

Thirdly; we oppose in the strongest possible terms proposals included
under the TTIP that would allow privately owned U.S. corporations to
challenge European laws that may be considered to constitute barriers to
trade. This caveat reflects a wider debate currently being considered
within the WTO. We believe that any concessions on this issue within the
TTIP would set a dangerous precedent for future disputes considered by the
WTO.
As producers we value the environmental resources; soil, water and
ecosystem services, that are the foundation of our farming systems. We
also value the legislation, imposed by the European Commission, that
protects our ecosystems and maintains the quality of our soils and water.
Any attempt to compromise this legislation automatically compromises the
resilience of our farming systems and cannot be justified by the interests
of foreign, or domestic, private companies.

Fourthly; we are farmers, growers and landworkers. The proposed TTIP will
not only have a profound impact on small-scale producers across England,
Wales and the rest of Europe, it will also have a profound impact upon the
livelihoods of small-scale producers throughout the U.S. As members of La
Via Campesina we recognise and support the rights of communities
everywhere to food sovereignty and as such we oppose the demands made by
the European Commission within the TTIP for greater access to U.S.
agriculture markets

Finally; we are educated citizens who have elected our MP’s and MEP’s to
represent our views at the highest level. We do not appreciate the fact
that multi-lateral trade agreements like the TTIP are not subjected to
public consultation, instead they are negotiated behind closed doors with
no protocol for publicising draft texts and agreements. We believe this
process is wholly undemocratic and undermines the integrity of those
governments who seek to make an example of their democracy.

It is indeed regrettable that the livelihoods of small farmers like
ourselves are dependent upon the whims and wishes of international trade
agreements. But until a time when governments recognise and support the
role of small farmers in feeding and contributing to the economy and
culture of their own countries, the syntax of these trade and investment
agreements is where we must draw our battle lines.

Ends.

Signed on behalf of The Landworkers Alliance of England & Wales

Press contact: Ed Hamer
edhamer@riseup.net
07858 381539