Malta Independent | 22 August 2015

TTIP between US and EU ‘threatens Maltese farmers and consumers’

In a press conference this morning at the Farmer’s Market, Friends of the Earth Malta, together with Front Against TTIP (Malta) members expressed their concern on the effect TTIP is expected to have on Malta’s agriculture.

Through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, US agri-businesses have been lobbying to remove ‘trade restrictions’, in European farming policies.

These changes would affect farmers, consumers and change agricultural landscapes.

The TTIP deal between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) could have a considerable impact on the way in which food and commodities are produced, traded and regulated, with impacts for farmers and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Elena Portelli, Friends of the Earth Malta Project Officer.

Increased competition

Farmers in Malta have voiced their concerns that increased competition from large EU producers has already led to a loss in their profits; leading to a struggling agricultural sector. Removing tariffs on US produce would increase imports in the EU resulting in the value added to European agriculture to fall by 0.5%. Due to lower standards of production, US products are much cheaper and would present unfair competition to local and EU farmers.

Difference in Standards

The US allows practices in animal farming that are strictly banned in the EU. Examples include using growth-promoting hormones in dairy, hormone-disrupting chemicals in pork and chlorine-rinsing of poultry. Streamlining of legislation may lead to the EU lifting these bans. However, if tariffs are removed while keeping existing standards on both sides of the Atlantic, European farmers will be facing higher costs when compared to US Farmers.

Pesticides and GMOs

The EU Commission has strict control over the use of Genetically Modified Organisms and pesticides produced and imported into Europe. US agribusiness is lobbying for the import and production of GM products into the EU. GMOs raise concerns on human health and farmers’ rights and are faced with strong resistance locally and in the EU.

“Our farmers shape most of our natural landscapes - Malta would not look the same without them. We must make sure to protect their livelihood, and our cultural heritage. GMOs have no place on our fields or our plates. The risks far outweigh possible advantages of a treaty such as TTIP”, stated Geraldine Portelli, from the Malta Organic Agricultural Movement.

The group calls on citizens to sign the EU-wide petition to stop this risky treaty at our shores.