KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government must study the impact of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on farmers, fishermen and food producers, a food security group said.
The Malaysia Food Sovereignty Forum (MFSF), led by its coordinator Nurfitri Amir Muhammad, met with Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu earlier today and called for a reassessment of the trade agreement given its purported negative impact on agricultural players.
The group also handed over a memorandum to Mohamad and had a brief meeting with him, media reported.
Among the MFSF’s concerns about the CPTPP are how it prevents farmers from selling and planting their own seeds, while the price of fertilisers and pesticides are also expected to increase due to clauses in the trade agreement that will grant big companies exclusive rights over production of agriculture inputs.
Mohamad, in response, said he would raise MFSF’s concerns with the cabinet.
Malaysia ratified the CPTPP on September 30 after first signing it in 2018. Opinion is divided on the trade pact – some argue it will boost trade and provide greater access to certain markets, while others say it will hurt local food producers and Malaysia’s long-term food security.
The CPTPP will also see the 100% removal of tariffs on imported goods including agricultural products – Nurfitri previously said this will cause Malaysia to see an increase in imports. With those tariffs gone, there would be no more protection for local farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen and food producers, who will not be able to compete, he wrote. – The Vibes, December 29, 2022
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