The Dairy Farmers of Canada are defending the Canadian supply management system against pressure under international trade deal negotitations

The Dairy Farmers of Canada are defending the Canadian supply management system against pressure under international trade deal negotitations
Photo Credit: via CBC

Canadian dairy farmers launch campaign over TPP trade talks

Dairy, egg, poultry worried about trade talks

As negotiations near the final stage in a massive international free trade deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Canada’s dairy industry and others are defending their turf.

Canada has a number of supply managed commodities including milk, poultry, and eggs which regulates prices and production.

The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) have quietly launched a campaign supporting Canada’ supply management system which they see as threatened by US pressure in the 12-country TPP talks, and which they say is important to protect as it is a big factor in the Canadian economy, through sales, taxes, and employment.

US publicly bullying Canada .(W Smith) 

In a May 12 letter on their website DFC president Wally Smith says, “I can’t help but think the U.S. is publicly bullying Canada on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and suggesting the dismantling of our supply management system.”

He adds, “With Canada engaged in international free trade discussions, it is important for Canadians to understand the value of Canada’s dairy industry and what it contributes to Canada both economically and socially.”

The DFC campaign began late last month with radio adverts and will continuer throughout the summer with TV, print, and digital media activity along with public relations events.

The DFC emphasizes the importance of maintaining the current system saying the dairy industry contributed $18.9 billion in gross domestic product in 2013 while contributing 215, 000 jobs , and $3.6 billion to the coffers of all three levels of government, municipal, provincial, and federal.

In the campaigning called the “Milkledown effect” ( a play on the economic concept of trickle down effect) the DFC website  says dairy represents 11 percent of farm receipts in 2013, and 2.5 percent of all Canadian manufacturing.

Quoted in a May 29th article by Jim Algie in “Better Farming”, Smith, a dairy farmer in British Columbia says, ““What is really unfair about all this is that the United States doesn’t discuss in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations anything about domestic (U.S) support. So (their) domestic support remains untouched and they want all other countries to unilaterally disarm.  Is the TPP a benefit to all countries that are participating or is it showing favouritism to the U.S.?”

Canada joined the talks only in 2012 with the proviso that Canadian negotiators had to accept, and could not reopen, any sections already agreed to by the others.

The twelve nations currently negotiating the TPP are the US, Japan, Australia, Peru, Malaysia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Chile, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, and Brunei Darussalam.

The negotiations have been roundly criticized by advocacy groups and others due to their lack of transparency.  Little is known publicly about the discussions as they are being kept secret.

Wikileaks has offered a $100,000 reward for a leaked copy of the deal

Government of Canada- TPP

Globe and Mail Newspaper-TPP (concerns)

Michael Giest column (concerns)

Categories: Economy, Environment & Animal Life, International, Politics
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