Conservative economists have been strong supporters of free trade agreements between nations, believing that free markets mean greater possibilities for economic growth. But at a time when global markets usually mean that larger and more powerful firms have a profound advantage over small local businesses, farmers in South Korea found themselves facing the downside of global trade when an agreement between their country and the United States flooded the market with American agricultural products, often imported at a lower price than Korean farmers could match. Filmmaker Dochyun Yoon examines the impact of the free trade pact on South Korea's family farms in the documentary Farmer's Song, which presents a look at how over three million farmers found their livelihood in jeopardy after American beef and produce began pouring into the marketplace and how they attempted to stem the tide through public protests. Farmer's Song was an official selection at the 2009 Hot Docs International Film Festival.
by Mark Deming
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