Saturday, November 30, 2013

1204. From the Readers: "9.70:" A Documentary on the Impact of Free Trade Agreement in Colombia

By Victoria Solano, October 1, 2013

"9.70 documentary" tells the story of a group of farmers from which the Colombian Government seized and destroyed 70 tons of rice.

In a very short amount of time, the Colombian government approved a series of laws and resolutions in order to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States as quickly as possible. One of the conditions set by the US was to create a legislation for the 'privatization' of seeds.


The documentary examines the impact caused by these decisions, exemplifying them by using the case of Campoalegre, a southern Colombian town where the resolution was set in motion. In 2011, the Agency responsible for monitoring agricultural activities in Colombia (ICA) came to the town and seized 70 tons of rice, then returned with the police, and finally destroyed the seeds by burying them in a landfill for considering them illegal.




No comments: