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American trade policy should strengthen, not weaken, the health, environment, food sovereignty, working conditions, labor rights, and transparent, competitive market principles of this country and all countries. WORC supports a trade system that strengthens the health, environment, food sovereignty, working conditions and labor rights of all countries. Vibrant national economies are essential to a healthy global community.
WORC promotes fair trade by organizing its members to protest the corporate-driven trade deals that put rural America at risk. They are working to preserve local control and promote fair trade policies. Therefore, trade agreements must be negotiated in an open and public manner. Currently trade negotiations largely happen behind closed doors. The very people these agreements impact most have no voice in this process.
WORC promotes fair trade by organizing its members to support trade policy that preserves local control and promote fair trade policies. The free trade model is corporate-driven and puts rural America at risk. Therefore, trade agreements must be negotiated in an open and public manner. Currently trade negotiations largely happen behind closed doors. The very people these agreements impact most have no voice in this process.
WORC members are concerned about the following principles of fair trade and work toward agreements that uphold:
- Countries’ rights to preserve family farms and promote global food security
- Strong labor, environmental and public health standards
- Fair and democratic negotiations processes that allow for public input by the very people affected by the agreements.
WORC calls on all Senators and Representatives to promote and support the fair trade principles described in WORC' s Trade Bill of Rights (pdf 16k).
Our members work toward agreements that uphold:
- Countries’ rights to preserve family farms and promote global food security
- Strong labor, environmental and public health standards
- Fair and democratic negotiations processes that allow for public input by the very people impacted by the agreements.
Multinational corporate interests and the Office of the United States Trade Representative ( USTR ) continue to push for trade pacts that use CAFTA and NAFTA’s broken model.
- Peru Free Trade Agreement
- Thailand Free Trade Agreement
- The USTR is also in the final stages of negotiating a free trade agreement with Thailand. Despite Thailand's promises that it will open some imports of U.S. beef into the Kingdom, the Thailand FTA poses big problems for other agricultural sectors like sugar and rice. More about the Thailand FTA
- Free Trade Area of the Americas
- Members of WORC continue to organize to stop multi-lateral trade agreements like the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The FTAA includes all countries in the Western Hemisphere except for Cuba, and is undoubtedly the most far-reaching trade agreement in history. Read WORC's factsheet
New report by Public Citizens says pending trade agreements will worsen imported food safety program by increasing food imports while replicating limits on U.S. food safety policy from past trade deals. (pdf 639k)
WORC's Trade Tool Kit includes a variety of resources designed to assist you in sharing the message of Fair Trade with members, allies, potential members and elected officials
Investor to state fact sheet describes current trade policy and models that let foreign companies sue local, state and national governments over laws protecting the health and safety of your family. To make matters worse, three unelected bureaucrats decide these cases—not U.S. courts and not U.S. jurors.
For a thought-provoking look at the implications of US agricultural policy on farmers and international trade, read: Rethinking US Agricultural Policy: Changing Course to Secure Farmer Livelihoods Worldwide , by Daryll E. Ray, Daniel G. De La Torre Ugarte and Kelly J. Tiller. This study:
- Explores why changes in US agricultural policy produce declining revenues;
- Demonstrates that solutions to globally low commodity prices involve more than ending subsidies; and
- Offers a plan to raise crop prices worldwide.
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