Looks like the US Agriculture Secretary is on Monsanto's side. Monsanto really has a lock on the bioagriculture market, although not well-publicized...
Dan
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rpt-U.S. wants gene beans to top trade talk agenda
Reuters, Wednesday, December 03, 1997 at 16:06
By Jason Webb
BUENOS AIRES, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The United States wants to
push the debate on genetically-modified crops to the center of
world trade talks as it launches an offensive for what it says
is the world's best hope to feed its growing population.
"It's my hope that biotechnology will be at the top of the
agenda in the 1999 Uruguay Round talks," Agriculture Secretary
Dan Glickman told a breakfast meeting in Buenos Aires
Wednesday.
"In the next quarter century, the world's population will
increase by another two billion people. How can we possibly
feed everyone?" he said, "Biotechnology holds up our greatest
hope of feeding a growing world population in a sustainable
way."
The U.S. has quickly approved several
genetically-engineered crops such as soybeans, but approval in
the European Union has been taking much more time and has been
complicated by differing views of the 15 EU member states.
Environmental groups including Greenpeace have campaigned
aggressively against genetically-modified crops in Europe,
where consumers have been spooked by other modern food safety
scares, notably the problems with beef infected by "mad cow"
disease.
Glickman, who recently came face to face with feeling on
the issue when he was confronted by nude European anti-"gene
bean" protestors, said that objections to genetically-modified
crops were mainly irrational. He pointed out that they reduce
the need for environmentally damaging pesticides and
fertilizers.
"As long as they do prove safe, science must prevail over
emotion when it comes to our trade rules," he said.
His Argentine audience could hardly have been more
sympathetic.
Local Agriculture Secretary Felipe Sola has said that
Argentine farmers will plant 1.5 million hectares with
genetically-modified soybeans this season, and would have
planted more if seeds had been available. Next season, the
government estimates that half Argentina's soybean crop will be
genetically modified.
Other issues which the United States will want to play up
in trade talks include its suspicions that state-run grain
boards are being used to cover up subsidies, Glickman said.
Glickman was fulsome in his praise of Argentina's
committment to free trade, and claimed that he doubted "there
could be any two countries in the world which have a better
trading relationshiop than the United States and Argentina."
But his host was not quite prepared to join the lovefest.
"Argentina is a very open country from the point of view of
tariffs, and the United States is not such an open country,"
Sola said.
He said Argentina will continue pressing for improvements
in the U.S. import quotas for beef, sugar, tobacco, dairy
products, and peanuts.
But Sola said that the most important issue for Argentina
was whether the United States will push strongly for further
agricultural trade liberalization in the 1999 negotiations.
"I think we have advanced in that sense during our
conversations with Dan Glickman," Sola said.
Glickman and Sola Tuesday announced the creation of a joint
U.S.-Argentine agricultural consultative committee to meet at
least once a year to boost cooperation and also work to find
areas of agreement before world finance ministers meet for
trade talks next May.
To the disappointment of the Argentines, Glickman said that
the United States will not allow Argentina to add to its 1998
beef export quota tonnage which it did not make use of in 1997.
buenosaires.newsroom@reuters.com))
Copyright 1997, Reuters News Service |
