Secret Trade Agenda Threatens Shift Toward Sustainable Food System

[marmar]

from Civil Eats:


Secret Trade Agenda Threatens Shift Toward Sustainable Food System
By Karen Hansen-Kuhn on October 30, 2013


After being delayed by the U.S. government shutdown, talks for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) are quietly gearing up again. Tariff barriers between the U.S. and EU are already low, so these negotiations are focused squarely on achieving “regulatory coherence.”

In other words, industry lobby groups and their political allies on both sides of the Atlantic see the trade deal as an opportunity to get rid of rules and regulations that limit their ability to buy and sell goods and services. The outcome of TTIP has implications for the rest of the world. Leaders from both regions have made clear, the terms of this trade agreement will set the standard for future free trade agreements.

TTIP could affect a broad range of issues, from energy to the environment, and intellectual property rights to labor rights. It could also have a significant impact on the evolution of agricultural markets and food systems in the U.S. and EU, as well as solidify the ability of corporations and investors to challenge new regulations that could affect expected profits through international tribunals. Unfortunately, little concrete information is known about the content of the TTIP proposals, since the governments involved have refused to publish draft text.

In both the U.S. and EU, the time to influence the substance of the agreement is before it is completed. That’s a tricky task, since the negotiations are happening behind closed doors, but it means that civil society groups and legislators need to pay close attention to what is on the agenda, even without complete information. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://civileats.com/2013/10/30/secret-trade-agenda-threatens-shift-toward-sustainable-food-system/#sthash.uTL73fUA.dpuf

[leftstreet]

1. DURec

[Berlum]

2. the k and the r

"All your food are belong to us." - Mutant GMO-Chem-Ag Corporate Borg, Inc. (R)