“Canada
could be hit with widespread job losses, while the country's
agriculture industries could collapse overnight under the
controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, an expert
in food industries has told Sputnik. With debate over the potential
benefits and impacts of the TPP heating up, there has been much talk
about the effects of the deal on local Canadian industries.”
“Despite
claims under the former government that the TPP would provide
Canadian industries with a boost, Jim Balsillie, former CEO of
Blackberry and founder of Canada's Center for International
Governance Innovation, told local media that the deal could cost
Canada hundreds of billions of dollars, calling it the 'the worst
deal the country has ever signed in its history.'”
“Dr
Sylvain Charlebois, professor of distribution and food policy at the
University of Guelph's Food Institute in Canada, told Sputnik there
were many unanswered questions in the deal. [...] Canada's
protectionist supply management scheme, which works to protect local
industries, would be thrown out under the TPP, with concerns over how
this would impact local producers.”
“The
supply management scheme has been in place since the mid-60s in order
to protect Canadian agricultural sectors from larger US corporations.
As a result, Dr Charlebois says the local industries have become
complacent and inefficient, and would not be able to survive under
the TPP if it was implemented immediately. He says that while some
reforms are needed, the changes must be implemented in a fashion that
allows local industries to adapt. [...] He told Sputnik that a large
majority of Canada's 12,000 dairy farms could be put out of
business.”
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