The devil wears Tafta or threatens collaborative consumption

Le Télégramme indicated that gardening enthusiasts and amateurs gather several times a year to share or exchange plants and advice. Unfortunately, they will likely soon find themselves acting illegally. Indeed, these plant swaps are now threatened by the free trade agreement or Tafta (Transatlantic Free Trade Area).

What is it about?

It is a treaty negotiated for over a year in the greatest secrecy between Americans and Europeans. Tafta, also known as "TTIP" (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), is a transatlantic free trade agreement. NGOs as well as many political parties see this treaty as a threat to our European social model. Indeed, it would require adopting American practices such as GMO crops or hormone-treated meat. Furthermore, new arbitration procedures for dispute resolution would need to be taken into account. This would have enormous budgetary consequences for the European community, an absurdity in the current economic context.

A real threat for botanists who swap their seeds or plants.

This free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union aims to create a common market of 820 million consumers. This market would represent half of the global GDP and a third of trade exchanges.
Those in favor of the treaties say that by 2025, we will gain €500 per European head. However, from a purely mathematical point of view, this wealth will not be fair. It will therefore not be distributed as such. It will primarily benefit multinationals. These multinationals, through armies of lobbyists representing their interests, will seek to take control of markets such as those of the "swappers." They will use this treaty to make any such event illegal.

Is this a threat to collaborative consumption in general?

An Economic Comprehensive Trade Agreement was already signed in October 2013 between Canada and the European Union. As with Tafta, we do not know the texts or the foundations. Even though it is not yet ratified, the EU has asked Canada to liberalize its postal system. Canadians will no longer have individual mail delivery, but collective mailboxes! The Post Office in France will have a monopoly on mail only until 2025… What changes will come after that? We can fear that education and health will be the next targets. They will be opened to globalization and with them, we will see disappear what still makes a French specificity: giving (such as blood donation) or exchanging!