Rather than experiencing real benefits from trade liberalization and the intense promotion of international trade, the most impoverished people and the environment are bearing the burden of the process. Trade agreements are being drafted by powerful nations, institutions, corporations and individuals to benefit a minority of the global population. Poor nations and organizations of impoverished people are regularly excluded from a meaningful role in trade negotiations.
In the process,whole sectors of the economy in which poor people were participating, such as subsistence farming and small, locally owned businesses have been destroyed. Millions of people have no job security, are not paid a living wage or work only in the informal sector.
At the same time, the right of the private sector to profit is taking precedence over the right of all people to access the basic necessities of life, including food, health care and essential medicine, shelter and basic education.
See also:- Free trade agreements fast tracked; take action now, October 11, 2011
- Action alert: Support the Investing in our Future Act, May 3
- Compare the Korea FTA to the TRADE Act, March 2011 (PDF document)
- Members of Congress urge Obama to support El Salvador in face of CAFTA lawsuits, March 2011
- Articles on speculation in financial and food markets
- Stop CAFTA Coalition releases report on three years of failed trade deal, December 2008
- Tres años de DR-CAFTA: Un análisis del TLC en Centroamérica, Octobre 2008
- Elements for fair and just trade policies (Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment)
- Sign the petition to call for a moratorium on free trade agreements
- Report on "Rethinking U.S. Trade Policy for the Common Good" Congressional briefing, March 2007
- El TLC entre los EEUU, Centroamérica y la República Dominicana en su primer año, un informe de la Coalición alto al CAFTA, Enero 2007
- DR-CAFTA in Year One, a report by the Stop CAFTA Coalition, September 2006
- As Guatemala enters CAFTA, U.S. coalition calls for a new trade model, July 2006
- Coalición Estadounidense llama a seguir un nuevo modelo de intercambio comercial mientras Guatemala entra al CAFTA, July 2006
- National Labor Committee's report on U.S.-Jordan free trade agreement, May 2006
- Is the U.S. trade agenda coming apart at the seams?, written by Kathy McNeely
- Holy See's reflection on occasion of WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, December 2005
- Trading in Justice: The Local Impact of Global Economic Decisions, Maryknoll leadership statement on trade and investment
- OGC Update: Trade and agriculture, August-September 2003
- Interfaith Working Group statement on trade and investment
- American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) website, "Trade Matters"
- Just Garments: fair trade clothing from El Salvador
- Equal Exchange
- Fair Trade Federation
- Fair Trade Certified
- Fair Trade Resource
Fair trade links