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Tell Congress to Reject the Korean Free Trade Agreement
  1. Signatures
    154 out of 200
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. Senate (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
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      • The U.S. Senate
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
  2. Created By
    Kristen Ridley
    Pasadena, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

The free trade agreement the U.S. recently negotiated with Korea would hurt family farmers in both countries. Korean farmers are already protesting the deal in the streets and the National Family Farm Coalition calls it a "race to the bottom in prices, wages, and environmental degradation."

Like NAFTA before it, this deal with Korea gives major protection to foreign investors at the expense of the safety and well-being of farmers, laborers, consumers, and the environment. And like NAFTA, this deal will lead to dropping prices that put family farmers in both countries out of business while leaving big agribusiness to reap the profits.

Since NAFTA came into force in 1994, nearly 300,000 U.S. family farms went out of business and farm income declined 13 percent. America's agricultural trade surplus has actually decreased significantly, and that trend is most profound with our NAFTA partners, Canada and Mexico. Between 1994 and 2001, our agricultural GDP declined by $4 billion, and meanwhile farm debt skyrocketed 50 percent. Is this what we want more of?

Congress needs to ratify the trade agreement before it can go into effect. Tell them to stand up for family farmers, both here and in Korea, and reject this irresponsible deal!

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Reject the Korean Free Trade Agreement

Greetings,

I am writing to ask that you reject ratification of the Free Trade Agreement negotiated with Korea.

Like NAFTA before it, this deal with Korea gives major protection to foreign investors at the expense of the safety and well-being of farmers, laborers, consumers, and the environment. And like NAFTA, this deal will lead to dropping prices that put family farmers in both countries out of business while leaving big agribusinesses to reap the profits.

After NAFTA came into effect in 1994, 300,000 family farms went out of business in the U.S., along with millions of Mexican farmers. U.S. farm profits decreased considerably while farm debt skyrocketed. Commodity crop prices dropped, but consumers didn't see the benefit; corporate agribusiness and international financiers did. I do not want more of the same for our farmers here or those in Korea.

We need agreements that are fair for farmers, laborers and protect consumers and the environment. We need agreements that help both countries, not agreements that force them into a "race to the bottom" for the benefit of foreign investors. Please reject the Korean Free Trade Agreement.

[Your name]

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