General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSo, the WTO just killed USA's Country of Origin labels on meat... Claimed it violates trade pact
No recourse, as our food safety takes a hit in order to help megacorp make more $$$.
I personally check Country of origin labels on all food I buy, if it says Japan or China I pass on it.
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/05/18/wto-ruling-meat-labels-exemplifies-corporate-profits-trumping-democracy
hardcover
(255 posts)and what regulations it is produced under. This is bullshit.
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)Profits over people & planet. This is the new global order.
cascadiance
(19,537 posts)As I noted in another thread, North American regulations aren't as strong as that of Europe's and many Asian countries in making sure we stop the spread of this disease, and we recently this year had another case of Mad Cow disease in Canada. Less labels (hopefully those buying American or Canadian meat are able to get "organic" labels and that that ensures that stronger feeding rules by the businesses selling organic meat here when our government doesn't put in place adequate regulations for other meat producers here.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1097226
djean111
(14,255 posts)or, if they are, money will be allocated in order to test compliance. If anything, the government will make organic meat rules more stringent, just to please the meat producers. Yeah I am cynical..
Romulox
(25,960 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)Labeling is a means to highlight something, which is a means to discourage its purchase.
What we need is a more robust inspection process. More inspectors. More laws with teeth in them regarding violations. If we could be assured of food safety, why would it matter where it came from?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it."
Tony Randall, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)[/center][/font][hr]
cali
(114,904 posts)going to get better before the TPP comes into effect. Shouldn't we have that robust inspection process already in place BEFORE we open ourselves up to more challenges that endanger food safety? And no, labeling is not just meant to discourage- it is also meant to encourage. Producers here want to put "Made in Vermont" on their food products, because it's a big sales advantage.
I don't, for example, buy imported shrimp. Shrimp from Vietnam is especially problematic. What happens when Vietnam decides to do re labeling, what Mexico and Canada just did, or if a Multinational operating in Vietnam decides to take a case challenging those laws to an ISDS panel?
randome
(34,845 posts)If our food safety standards are applied to ourselves as to every other country that is a signatory, then I see no problem. If Vietnam continues to violate those standards, then I don't see how the WTO could fault us for labeling their food. Of course, what we should actually do is forbid its import until those safety standards are enforced. I'm not sure if anything is keeping us from that now other than the prospect of cheap shrimp.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it."
Tony Randall, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)[/center][/font][hr]
cali
(114,904 posts)reality is that with the tpp, odds are great that we will be opening up our market to more unsafe foods.
DisgustipatedinCA
(12,530 posts)...something has gone very, very wrong.
randome
(34,845 posts)Did you research where the chocolate comes from in your favorite sweet? Did you discover how the chicken you ate last week was raised? (Of course for all I know, you did both but I'm talking about the vast majority of people.)
If the food is the same, then why does it matter where it comes from? Labeling becomes, then, another means of protectionism, and that's something these treaties are designed to weaken.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]
cali
(114,904 posts)lots and lots of people do. We had a little kerfuffle at the local co-op over organic garlic from China.
I know where the chicken and eggs and pork I eat comes from (1/2 mile down the road).
In Vermont, the locavore movement is huge. Hell, my tofu comes from town. My seeds are local.
And yes, I know that the coffee I buy is "fair trade".
randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]
jwirr
(39,215 posts)farmers out of business. Also what about the fact that many of those other countries are being compelled by the IMF and World Bank to export food from corporate farms instead of feeding their own people? I am not interested in supporting imported foods for those two reasons. If that is called protectionism then so be it.
randome
(34,845 posts)And encouraging trade, in a small measure, unites us. It's a slow process and I'm not at all saying that's behind everything that goes on with trade issues but...it's also true that the more trade we have with other countries, the closer they get to our standards.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]
jwirr
(39,215 posts)It is about multi national corporate profit and power. The people who are breaking down local markets be they here or in other countries are totally ignoring science: climate change and oil depletion. If we really want to help those countries we will get the faulty IMF and World Bank loans off their backs and allow them to have their own land back to once again begin to feed their own families. None of this is in the so called modern trade agreements.
dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)Not buying it, or unlabeled meat.
randome
(34,845 posts)But it is protectionist. And thus the WTO ruling.
The solution, as always, is a more robust inspection process on our end.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]
Chan790
(20,176 posts)I prefer my solution. No more free-trade because free-trade is anti-freedom.
dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)I am inclined to see protectionism as a good thing.
Even so, I don't understand how labeling is protectionist, intuitively that doesn't seem like protectionism to me, is there something I am missing in the meaning of that word?
Our inspection mechanisms and regulatory agencies in general have been captured by corporate interests, no way in hell I am going to make my entire purchasing decison on what some government agency (FDA?) says is safe, these agencies are run by industry lackies and the regulators are defunded by Republicans every chance they get. A very small percentage of our food is inspected.
I agree that more robust inspection would be a good thing, but a consumer should be allowed to make informed decisions on their own based on where a product comes from, and as much as possible based on how it was processed or what ingredients are in it. Seems to me that you are on the wrong side of this issue.
AzDar
(14,023 posts)stevenleser
(32,886 posts)I've felt much better since stopping eating all other meat.
One_Life_To_Give
(6,036 posts)Seems to me we mark all products manufactured with their country of origin as well. And there is a long history of discrimination associated with products manufactured in various countries over the years. Once Japan was synonymous with low quality. Since then the association has moved to other Asian manufacturing countries.
peacebird
(14,195 posts)Romulox
(25,960 posts)closeupready
(29,503 posts)So I'm not buying the notion that anyone's hands are tied here.
Romulox
(25,960 posts)Um,
closeupready
(29,503 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)peacebird
(14,195 posts)Thanks for posting it tho
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)I don't think we import much meat from there, except maybe Kobe beef and some sushi fish. And I'd trust stuff from Japan. China, not so much.
peacebird
(14,195 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,681 posts)And will be reaching out to our local farmers (where I buy meat and poultry from when I can) to see if they can assist our local food bank.
kenfrequed
(7,865 posts)The TPP is totally harmless. (maximum sarcasm.)
hedda_foil
(16,368 posts)This is horrifying.