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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