Palm oil. A sneaky protectionism
The campaign of eco-agricultural circles against the agreement with Indonesia is marked by the bad faith of subsidized interests. Palm oil is wrongly erected as a scarecrow, writes Pierre Bessard, director of the Liberal Institute, Geneva and Zurich.
The bad faith of state-subsidized and protected interests is sometimes disconcerting. This is evidenced by the campaign by eco-agricultural circles against the agreement (endorsed by parliament late last year) between the European Free Trade Association, of which Switzerland is the driving force, and Indonesia. At issue: palm oil, erected as a scarecrow. Opponents say there would be no "sustainable" palm oil. The reality seems much more nuanced, but what is certain is that Swiss farmers are primarily struggling for their products: there is a protectionist tendency against the international division of labour, at the expense of Consumers.
Click here to read original article in French as published in LeTemps
The bad faith of state-subsidized and protected interests is sometimes disconcerting. This is evidenced by the campaign by eco-agricultural circles against the agreement (endorsed by parliament late last year) between the European Free Trade Association, of which Switzerland is the driving force, and Indonesia. At issue: palm oil, erected as a scarecrow. Opponents say there would be no "sustainable" palm oil. The reality seems much more nuanced, but what is certain is that Swiss farmers are primarily struggling for their products: there is a protectionist tendency against the international division of labour, at the expense of Consumers.
Click here to read original article in French as published in LeTemps