I recently received the following e-mail from the Fairtrade Foundation. I urge you to read what they have to say and then act on it!
Urgent call to action: Tell the EU to stop the sugar rush!
This month the EU is set to make a decision that will push many African, Caribbean and Pacific sugar cane farmers, their families and communities into poverty. We have just two weeks to influence their decision and we need your urgent help to do this!
Have you ever read something about European politics that you disagreed with? Something that you wanted to change, but didn’t know how?
Now’s your chance. The EU proposed changes to its agricultural policy which, if implemented too quickly or without additional support, could result in sugar producers in developing countries being priced out of the European market. Help us stop the sugar rush!
The proposed EU legislation will lift all restrictions on the production of EU subsidised and domestically produced beet sugar and other sugar products from big European businesses, which could push many farmers in poorer countries out of business. EU producers already receive subsidies for their sugar, but up until now there has been a limit on the amount of sugar that they can produce, which kept the door open for overseas producers. Because the new EU regime proposes keeping subsidies but dropping production restrictions, many producers from developing countries will find themselves priced out of the market – and out of a job. This would also affect Fairtrade producers who would find it harder to sell their sugar to the EU and would be unable to benefit from millions of pounds worth of poverty-busting Fairtrade Premium projects.
It’s not fair. So tell the EU that they must honour their commitments to farmers in developing countries and give them enough time and additional support to build up their industries to be more competitive, or invest in crop diversification. Send an email now to Paolo De Castro, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development at paolo.decastro@europarl.
Influencing European politics has never been easier, or more urgent. Together we can Make Food Fair!
This month the EU is set to make a decision that will push many African, Caribbean and Pacific sugar cane farmers, their families and communities into poverty. We have just two weeks to influence their decision and we need your urgent help to do this!
Have you ever read something about European politics that you disagreed with? Something that you wanted to change, but didn’t know how?
Now’s your chance. The EU proposed changes to its agricultural policy which, if implemented too quickly or without additional support, could result in sugar producers in developing countries being priced out of the European market. Help us stop the sugar rush!
The proposed EU legislation will lift all restrictions on the production of EU subsidised and domestically produced beet sugar and other sugar products from big European businesses, which could push many farmers in poorer countries out of business. EU producers already receive subsidies for their sugar, but up until now there has been a limit on the amount of sugar that they can produce, which kept the door open for overseas producers. Because the new EU regime proposes keeping subsidies but dropping production restrictions, many producers from developing countries will find themselves priced out of the market – and out of a job. This would also affect Fairtrade producers who would find it harder to sell their sugar to the EU and would be unable to benefit from millions of pounds worth of poverty-busting Fairtrade Premium projects.
It’s not fair. So tell the EU that they must honour their commitments to farmers in developing countries and give them enough time and additional support to build up their industries to be more competitive, or invest in crop diversification. Send an email now to Paolo De Castro, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development at paolo.decastro@europarl.
Influencing European politics has never been easier, or more urgent. Together we can Make Food Fair!
The Campaigns Team
Fairtrade Foundation
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