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Sacramento Bee European official criticizes U.S. for hosting ag conference Associated Press Published 4:50 p.m. PDT Tuesday, June 24, 2003 A European agriculture official criticized the United States on Tuesday for hosting an international conference largely focused on using biotechnology to feed the world's poorest nations without representation from the European Union. "The European Union is basically absent," said Tito Barbini, regional minister for agriculture in Tuscany, Italy. "There are no European ministers at a time when the United States is trying to heal the wounds opened by a war in Iraq." Barbini's comments came on the second day of an international conference with agriculture ministers, scientists and health care experts from more than 100 countries. He appeared on behalf of one of several groups opposing the Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology as an attempt by corporations to profit by forcing biotech on starving nations. Biotech supporters say it can reduce hunger, improve nutrition and boost economies by yielding better harvests, reducing pesticide use and preserving the environment. EU ministers are notably absent at a time when the United States is demanding that the World Trade Organization force the EU to end its ban on genetically modified food. U.S. agriculture officials, who sponsored the conference, said one European Union member who was supposed to attend could not because of a meeting at home to address subsidies and agriculture reform. During an annual biotechnology meeting Monday in Washington, President Bush criticized Europe for aggravating hunger in Africa by closing its markets to genetically modified food. Barbini said it was a bad time to criticize Europe on the issue of genetically modified food because of global rifts, such as the war in Iraq, which was unpopular in parts of Europe. The union banned the import of genetically modified food in 1998 after many consumers feared health risks. Barbini said the union may reach a compromise with the United States but it wants a system for labeling such foods, something the industry successfully fought here. Like European officials, agriculture ministers at the conference questioned the health risks of genetically altered crops and voiced concern about corporations creating a monopoly by controlling seed supply. Robert Fraley, executive vice president at Monsanto Co., one of the world's largest suppliers of herbicides and genetically altered seeds, said biotechnology provides another choice for the world's farmers. "Biotech products, if anything, may be safer than conventional products because of all the testing," Fraley said, adding that 18 countries have adopted biotechnology. About 51 percent of the world's soybean, 20 percent of cotton and 9 percent of corn are genetically modified. Bioengineered corn has produced higher profits for farmers in the Philippines and other countries because fewer pesticides were used, he said. "This is just the beginning," Fraley said. "Where we are with biotechnology today is where we were with computers in the 1950s. We will see many, many more new products that will provide benefits and health." FAIR USE NOTICE: This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The International Forum on Globalization is making this article available in our efforts to advance the understanding of environmental, corporate accountability, human rights, labor rights, social justice issues, etc. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |