NAFTA was severely damaging to independent Mexican farmers.  US farm subsidies make it impossible for Mexican farmers to compete without tariffs; the so-called free trade act disadvantages Mexican workers because their American counterparts are not working under a free trade system1. While Mexican consumers benefit from lower prices, rural farmers tend to be much poorer than city residents in Mexico. Therefore this agricultural loss benefits the rich at the expense of the poor1.  1 Joseph E. Stiglitz, "The Broken Promise of NAFTA," New York Times, January 6, 2004.