Wal-Mart Watch Responds To Wal-Mart’s Alliance With Mercy Corps And USAID In Guatemala

For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 06, 2008

Contact: Stacie Lock Temple, 202.557.7482 or 202.739.1020

March 5, 2008

Wal-Mart Watch Executive Director David Nassar today released the following statement in regards to Wal-Mart’s joint alliance with Mercy Corps and USAID in Guatemala to train local farmers:

“While Mercy Corps has the best of intentions in helping Guatemalan farmers, we believe that this project will make the farmers dependent on Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart will use such a relationship, as it has in the United States, to pressure farmers to continually reduce prices. As Wal-Mart consolidates control over the Guatemalan retail and agricultural markets, the farmers will have nowhere else to sell. The most troubling aspect of this project is that U.S. Taxpayer dollars will be spent to increase Wal-Mart’s bottom line.”