July 24, 2001

Dear Member of Congress,

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we urge your opposition to the granting of Trade Promotion Authority, known as "fast-track," for the consideration of the Free Trade Areas of the Americas (FTAA).

As you know, the FTAA is a proposed extension of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to all of the countries of the Western Hemisphere, with the exception of Cuba. NAFTA has not created prosperity in the U.S.; instead, it has only accelerated the loss of family farmers and held down wages for working people in the United States, as well as in Mexico and Canada. Since 1994, the following statistics tell the story.

• The overall agricultural trade surplus has declined from $22.5 billion per year to $12.6 billion in 2000, a 47% decrease.
• Corn, wheat, and cotton export volumes have decreased between 11% and 28% since NAFTA. Farm prices received by farmers for these crops have declined between 20% and 38%. Despite a 16% increase in soybean exports, the 15% drop in farm prices has created a net loss of 2% in the value of the U.S. soybean market.
• Fruits and vegetables have been especially hard hit since NAFTA due to imports that displace the domestic market. Trade deficits more than doubled and the frozen fruit sector went from a $9 million trade surplus in 1995 to a $37 million deficit in 1999. The expansion to 31 other countries as part of the FTAA will further exacerbate this situation.
• The $416 million dairy trade deficit has climbed to $796 million and a $21 million beef surplus is now a $152 million deficit.
• According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) recent report, 766,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in the United States since NAFTA.

Beyond the statistics, the impact of NAFTA and other free trade agreements is reflected in the ongoing farm crisis gripping the nation, and the billions of taxpayer dollars appropriated to programs created by Congress and implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help alleviate the economic devastation caused by the failures of our export-driven farm policy. These impacts are compounded by increasing concentration in the agricultural sector and barriers to trade based on inequities in exchange rates and currency values.

Instead of supporting trade agreements like NAFTA that have proven to be disastrous to farmers, farm workers and taxpayers, we support the following principles as the basis of an international trade policy that is fair to farmers, farm workers, consumers, and taxpayers, while helping sustain the family farm and improve the rural economy:

• Allow countries to prioritize sustaining family farms and global food security.
• Vigorous enforcement of antitrust laws at the local, regional, national and international levels to guarantee competitive markets for family farmers and strengthening these laws where necessary.
• Allow countries to establish domestic and global reserves, manage supply, enforce anti-dumping laws, and ensure fair market prices.
• Respect the consumers' right to know that their food has been produced in a sustainable manner by advocating labeling and other approaches.
• Allow countries to ensure the production and distribution of a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply to meet their domestic needs and achieve food security.

These principles form the basis of a fair trade policy; one that works for family farmers and the rest of society.

The FTAA, like NAFTA, will be a detriment to family farmers, rural communities, and working people because it fails to meet the principles outlined above. An important way for you as a member of Congress to ensure the survival of family farmers, rural communities, and working people, is to oppose fast-track and the FTAA.

Sincerely,

Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO/MT)
American Agriculture Movement
American Corn Growers Association
American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association
California Farmers Union
Campaign to Reclaim Rural America
Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana
Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CA)
Community Farm Alliance (KY)
Community Food Security Coalition
Corporate Agribusiness Research Project
Dakota Resource Council (ND)
Dakota Rural Action (SD)
Empire State Family Farm Alliance
Family Farm Defenders
Federation of Southern Cooperatives
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)
Idaho Rural Council
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
Indiana Farmers Union
Indiana NFO
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Intertribal Agricultural Council
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Kansas NFO
Kansas Rural Center, Inc.
La C.A.S.A del Llano (Communities Approaching Sustainable Agriculture - TX)
Land Stewardship Project (MN)
Minnesota COACT
Mississippi River Basin Alliance
Missouri Farmers Union
Missouri Rural Crisis Center
Montana Community Labor Alliance
Montana Farmers Union
Montana NFO
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
National Family Farm Coalition
National Farmers Organization (NFO)
Nebraska Farmers Union
Nebraska Reform Party
North American Farm Alliance
North Dakota Farmers for Profitable Agriculture
Northern Plains Resource Council (MT)
Ohio Family Farm Coalition
Organization for Competitive Markets
Pennsylvania Dairy Policy Development Committee/Family Farm Defenders
Powder River Basin Resource Council (WY)
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington office
Promised Land Network (TX)
Prune Bargaining Association
R-CALF, United Stockgrowers of America
Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA)
Rural Advancement Fund
Rural Coalition/Coalicion Rural
Rural Vermont
Rural Virginia
Sustainable Agriculture for Everyone (IN)
Texas Farmers Union
Western Colorado Congress (CO)
Western Organization of Resource Councils

(For contact information or for more information, please call (202) 543-5675)