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Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is a trade and investment agreement
negotiated between the United States and six Central American and Caribbean countries:
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
Congress must vote on CAFTA as it is currently written because under "fast track" authority,
no amendments or changes can be considered.
The National Catholic Rural Life Conference is advocating for a "no" vote, based on
our analysis of the trade agreement and the moral criteria we apply through Catholic
social teachings.
We invite you to review the information below and join us in our call for a new model of trade
agreements based on principles of social justice, fairness and the common good.
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Currently, trade discussions begin by asking how policies will be good for business and
economic growth. We need to ask how trade policies will be good for those who live in
situations of poverty.
____________ ~ Guatemalan Bishop Alvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imer
One of the most important roles to be played by people of faith is as a prophetic voice to
remind the nation that the dominance of profit-driven markets must be balanced by
ensuring that they serve the needs of people, especially the poor.
A different trade agreement is possible, one that makes the needs of the poorest people,
and the right to food, shelter, healthcare and education a priority over adherence to a
particular trade model.
The values of justice, fairness and hope
need to be heard by members of Congress.
The American Friends Service Committee has posted informative materials for people
of faith to reflect on trade justice. Their website provides creative and active ways to reflect
on whether the CAFTA measures up to principles of just trade.
The U.S. Interfaith Trade Justice Campaign , in partnership with religious institutions,
mobilizes and facilitates an active engagement of faith communities in educational
activities, policy advocacy and Fair Trade efforts, so that global trade and investment
policies promote economic and social justice, human development and ecological
sustainability.
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A Catholic Call to Evaluate by Moral Criteria
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services
(CRS) believe that international trade policy should dovetail with other development policies
to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty. The Church offers a moral perspective for
decision-makers who shape trade policies, placing the human person at the center of all
economic activity.
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Farm Groups Hold Opposing Positions on Trade Agreements
The Senate Agriculture Committee opened hearings on the Central American Free Trade Act
recently and got two very different perspectives on the treaty from the nation's largest farm
organizations.
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For farming, CAFTA's claims are clouded by NAFTA's record
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) claims the agreement will create "opportunities for U.S.
farmers, ranchers, and processors." But America’s farmers remember when similar claims were
made 12 years ago during the push to pass the trade agreement called NAFTA. Many of those
claims proved empty. Just how empty is revealed in a new study, Will CAFTA Be a Boon to Farmers
and the Food Industry? released early June by the Economic Policy Institute.
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"NAFTA, CAFTA, Do We Hafta?"
Fr. John S. Rausch is wearing a special cap this summer that reads, "NAFTA, CAFTA, Do We Hafta?"
The slogan comes from the Rural Coalition, an alliance of small community groups throughout the
United States working to build a more just and sustainable food system. Find out what Fr. Rausch
about these trade agreements.
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Striking A Balance
Read whatCatholic Relief Services has to say about lifting the voices of the poor in the Central
American Free Trade Agreement.
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CAFTA Rules on Sovereign Debt: Cementing the Chains of Debt
Read what the Center of Concern has to say about the impact of CAFTA on a nation’s debt and
consequences for the poor.
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