On June 4, Representative Michael Michaud and Senator Sherrod Brown introduced the TRADE Act to Congress. As the press release from the National Family Farm Coalition expressed (see our earlier blog post), this is an exciting opportunity for Congress to finally reform existing trade bills and ensure that future trade agreements are designed to actually benefit small farmers, workers, local economies and the environment.The bills have been officially introduced into both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Debate most likely won’t begin until early next year, but this is an important time to begin gathering support for the bills’ provisions.
Please consider calling or writing your Congressional representatives to urge them to co-sponsor the bills – a strong show of support will strengthen the chances of passage and ensure solutions to skyrocketing food prices, loss of family farms, disintegration of communities and massive waves of immigration.
To read the proposed legislation (or summaries and key provisions of the bills), a list of those organizations supporting the TRADE Act, and a series of press releases from a wide variety of labor, farm, and worker rights organizations expressing enthusiasm for these bills, please go to citizenstrade.org.
There you will find everything you need to email or call Congress, such as talking points and a quick link to your Senator or Representative’s office.
Keep up to date on actions you can take to ensure our free trade agreements are FAIR at Equal Exchange’s action alerts web page.
Hello,
One american woman who is happy to be a share cropper in Virginia.
23 years growing vegetables a low income crop with no shelf stability.
Doubled my money in 23 years from 6,000. per year to 12,000.
No health insurance just health assurance from 100% organic diet.
Hope in the future of locally produced foods preserving some of the greeness of an unappreciated plot of earth the USA.
Americans still turn to the cheap food.
Local Agriculture is still a male dominated environment.
I do not fight I lead by example .
More farmers interested in natural food production.
A less than organic form of farming but they hold more land and make an income above poverty level.
I do not judge I do not see how we could feed the masses the way we farm.
Good year plenty of tomatoes peppers basil eggplant.
Planting kale collards and onions.
Need to re organize serving 17 local farmers 5 employees and feel like Im treading through mud.
Feel the need to increase local food production in the wake of higher fuel prices.
But too much energy spent trying to convince locals of our mission.
Local government needs to ask if agriculture is an important issue.
Need people of like mind.
I know they are out there .
I meet them everyday.
But they go home and I am still serving 17 farmers on the brink of evaporization due to the heat of rising cost and our own age.
I am ready willing and able.
Wont you join me.
Michele,
Thanks for the hard work that you’re doing and for these words from the heart. I’m glad you wrote us… and I do think that there are many people out there who believe in and want to support organic agriculture, local farmers, and Fair Trade.
Because you are so close to the actual work, I imagine it can be hard to see progress on a larger scale, and of course the difficulties are all too apparent. As you said, the farmers “can’t go home” at the end of the day. Because we work with small scale farmers throughout the world, we see the difficulties they face regardless of where they live.
We also, however, have the opportunity of coming into contact with many individuals and organizations who want to see changes in our agriculture and trade policies and who want our food system and the way we do business to reflect our values. Many people agree with you that our policies should take people and our planet into account before corporate interests and profits.
I sense your frustration but greatly appreciate your efforts and admire your spirit. You are right that there is tremendous urgency to turn things right side up, to fix our food system, repair our planet and live what we believe. I hope you can find some inspiration (and comfort?) knowing that many people out there are trying to educate the public, support small farmers, and change our policies. If you click on our blogroll you’ll find a number of great organizations working every day on these issues … our website is full of the stories of our farmer partners who are doing the hard work of growing our products and taking care of our fragile eco-systems ….. you are not alone!
phyllis