Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, that's a very misleading statement. Most of those soybeans aren't being produced to be eaten by humans. Most soybeans are used for animal feed. It's the meat industry that is primarily driving deforestation, both directly for pasture, and indirectly for animal feed.
Not in South America. Cattle here eats grass. Soybean is exported mainly to China which uses it for other reasons, not feeding cattle.
EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
111–120 of 184 posts
Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does the deal actually allow food to be imported into the EU if it does not comply with EU health and safety regulations?
It does not.
Who controls it though? A lot of non-compliant products are imported from China in plain sight, as there are 0 control and LATAM countries have no incentives in enforcing it.
Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most importantly, Europe needs more trading partners after having lost Russia and now losing the United States. Second, I am happy about German (I suspect it's similar in other EU countries) farmers largely supporting the far-right getting a taste of a world without protectionism and regulations. Finally, I hope for lower grocery prices, not only for myself, but also because it makes the whole social situation less e…
Fair trade yes. Unfair trade no. And Mercosur is COMPLETELY unfair to European farmers. It imposes higher standards - and thus costs - on European farmers, while allowing South American farmers to produce with lower quality and adding forbidden substances to grow crops faster - and cheaper.
> South American farmers to produce with lower quality and adding forbidden substances to grow crops faster - and cheaper.
This is a lot of fearmongering in a small sentences.
Nothing in the agreement says that that the EU has ro accept food produced with substandard practices.
Also, food produce in South America is not exactly low standards.
Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you mean the prices are as high as NYC relative to local income? Because if farmers can get NYC prices in their own country I don't see why they would ship their produce all the way to the EU, where they won't even be able to get that (NYC is more expensive than the large majority of Europe).
I mean a cheese burger costs $18 USD and I couldn't find cheaper without having to walk 3 miles in Buenos Aries.
Argentina is an outlier as their economy is in the dumps, for the rest of SA food is much cheaper than in Europe. But in general you are right that food prices in some countries in SA are artificially high because most of our food is exported, so the domestic market has to pay a premium. We also export the highest quality food. If we fed the domestic market first and exported the surplus food prices would be a fraction of what they are today.
Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
From consumer perspective this agreement changes nothing, explicitly stating that. It does not allow lower quality of products imported from Mercosur. All EU standards for food safety remain applicable and EU may adopt stronger standards in the future. Some stuff forbidden in EU is used in e.g. Brazil, but as long as residues are at safe level, it’s considered ok. European farmers are against this part, because their…
Safe level is a bad metric. Lately the safe level for alcohol consumption was set to zero, even if it was considered safe in the past to have some drinks.
This is why this FTA doesn’t restrict EU on making it more strict. If new health risks will be discovered, they will come up with new regulations and farmers in EU may have an advantage of being already compliant.
Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you mean the prices are as high as NYC relative to local income? Because if farmers can get NYC prices in their own country I don't see why they would ship their produce all the way to the EU, where they won't even be able to get that (NYC is more expensive than the large majority of Europe).
I mean a cheese burger costs $18 USD and I couldn't find cheaper without having to walk 3 miles in Buenos Aries.
I was in BA quite recently and didn't find it that expensive in restaurants, even in Recoleta. Inflation is so volatile there it can change by the week I guess. But if what you are saying is true about meat being so expensive, I think that just means that meat isn't going to be sold to Europe, because Europeans aren't going to pay that price and Argentinian meat producers aren't going to ship their produce to Europe and comply with all the red tape to get the same or lower prices. Granted, in some poorer areas where meat is currently quite cheap the effects of competition could be more acute.
Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#117Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#118There is some valid criticism raised by farmers in my country (Romania) related to use of pesticides and other substances that are forbidden in EU, but permitted in Mercosur and products can be imported even with the forbidden substances in it. That sounds pretty bad, consumer protection is the only part that I still like about modern EU.
From consumer perspective this agreement changes nothing, explicitly stating that. It does not allow lower quality of products imported from Mercosur. All EU standards for food safety remain applicable and EU may adopt stronger standards in the future. Some stuff forbidden in EU is used in e.g. Brazil, but as long as residues are at safe level, it’s considered ok. European farmers are against this part, because their…
No one controls for the food quality imported in the EU. If you read consumer protection specialized papers, they very often find problematic products. Massive amounts of fake honey from China is being sold in the internal market with absolutely no repercussions.
The only way to ensure food safety is to control the production sites, which Mercosur doesn't allow.
Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#119This is a bad deal for many European countries that still have a strong farming industry, and for Europeans in general too. Once again, Germany has pushed through its interests at the expense of other European nations like Poland. This time even France was against it. What is Germany going to get? A new market for their decaying automobile industry. What is the rest of Europe going to get? Cheap, low quality food shi…
Funny, I think this deal was better for the EU than for Mercosur. Still a net positive for both sides though.
That European farmers are crying over wanting more protectionism is nothing new.
The quotas for food imports to EU are dismal, and the food needs to adhere to EU standards anyway. But even that is being cried about as "unfair competition".
Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
It does not.
Who controls it though? A lot of non-compliant products are imported from China in plain sight, as there are 0 control and LATAM countries have no incentives in enforcing it.
European consumer protection authorities control the quality and food is regularly tested, of course. European producers aren’t saints too.