The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was passed in
1994. With the formation of the world’s largest free trade area,
economic growth was soon to follow. Farmers would be exporting
more than ever before, and consumers would be paying less. It
would mean easier, cheaper trade for everyone involved! Well,
that was the plan. So, what happened? Why are farmers losing
money every single year, while larger corporations are reporting
higher profits? One of the side effects of the agreement was
that many of the laws that protected farmers no longer held
true. Instead, huge farming conglomerates now set prices with
which local farmers have no chance of competing. The small
farming families are slowly being pushed out of the business—a
business they’ve been cultivating their entire lives. Since
NAFTA, the number of Canadian farms claiming bankruptcies has
increased 500%. Farmers’ income declined 19% by 1999, even
though prices skyrocketed. Something wasn’t working. The plan
didn’t live up to its hype. Who was