U.S., Mexican farmers decry free trade's impact on their livelihood

Published: 2003-10-20

DES MOINES, Iowa (CNS) -- A delegation of farmers from Mexico traveled to Des Moines to share their stories about the devastating impact they say free trade has had on their family farmers and rural communities. They discovered their U.S. counterparts are facing the same problems Oct. 13 at the Bi-National Farmer Forum, which was sponsored by the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, Catholic Relief Services and the Social Pastoral Commission of the Mexican bishops. The problems are the losses of family farms in both countries because the abundance of cheap imports prevents family farmers from earning enough to stay on their land. In Mexico, for example, the government estimates that 600 small farmers leave their land every day. There are 4.5 million Mexicans who derive their household incomes from small farms, and an estimated 25 million Mexicans in agriculture-related jobs. Larry Mitchell, representing the American Corn Growers Association, told those assembled for a farmer panel that the United States has spent "upwards of $20 (billion) to $30 billion to prove free trade works." The result has been, however, "that it doesn't work," he said. "We want fair trade, not free trade," he added.

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