1. IS MEXICO GETTING STRONG-ARMED ON BIOTECH LABELING? The Mexican Senate has unanimously approved a bill calling for mandatory labeling of biotech foods - and a cadre of US trade groups are trying to block final passage in the Mexican House of Deputies. On February 4th, the American Farm Bureau Federation and approximately 20 other groups sent a letter to US officials urging them to intervene "at the most senior levels" to "prevent this legislation from becoming Mexican law." The letter urged them to use President Bush's "upcoming visit to Mexico" and was sent to Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoelick. Moreover, the letter conveyed wording that could be interpreted as a threat to Mexico regarding their favorable trade status. "The ramifications (of mandatory labeling) to US farmers, grain handlers, food companies and biotechnology providers" said the letter, "would be enormous and threaten our favorable relations with Mexico as an ally and NAFTA trading partner." The letter also stated that labeling "would not only confuse and mislead Mexican consumers about the safety inherent in biotech foods but also create a negative precedent for NAFTA." With the upcoming Free Trade for the America's next month in Quebec, news of this letter is sure to reverberate widely throughout the global trade and biotechnology communities. The Mexican House of Deputies is expected to vote on this bill soon. Karil L. Kochendorfer of the Grocery Manufacturers Association of America (202) 295 3927 was the contact person mentioned on the letter. Rural Updates! has obtained a copy and will be posting developments in future editions. To receive UPdates! email defenders.rural@reply.net with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. To learn more about Farm Bureau's vast insurance and agribusiness investments, go to: http://www.defenders.org/rural3.html 2. GROUPS SIGN LETTER SUPPORTING FARM CONSERVATION PROGRAMS Contrary to campaign promises, the current administration is threatening to cut funding on many farm conservation programs. In response, sixty three diverse national and regional groups have called on Senator Pete Domenici (D-NM) requesting more, not less, federal support. In a sign on letter to Domenici, who sits as Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, the groups called for more conservation spending saying, " there is growing recognition that farmers can provide more than just food and fiber." The groups representing farm, conservation, environmental, church and rural advocacy groups are seeking greater federal support for incentive based programs that give producers the tools they need to produce in environmentally friendly ways. The groups hope other organizations will sign on to this effort quickly as the budget committee is preparing a final decision as early as this week. You can sign on at http://www.familyfarmer.org/action.html 3. WILDLIFE PROGRAM SLASHED - ANOTHER BROKEN CAMPAIGN PROMISE As a presidential candidate, George W. Bush didn't make too many campaign promises to protect the environment, but he seems determined to break the ones he did make. Last summer on the campaign trail Governor Bush promised to support "incentive" based conservation programs because, he said, "it is our calling as stewards of the Earth." Last week, however, the Bush Administration slashed this year's funding to the only USDA incentive - based wildlife program - the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). WHIP is a voluntary program that offers assistance to producers who steward habitat for wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. The Bush administration is cutting WHIP funding this year by almost 40%. Worse, they recommend eliminating the program in the future. In cutting WHIP he turns his back on partnership efforts by farmers, conservationists and state agencies. Moreover, agri-conservation programs are forced to fight for tiny amounts of the huge agricultural budget. For instance, the WHIP program this years receives $12.5 million while the 1999 federal outlay to bail out current failed farm policy exceeded $32 billion! 4. NATIONAL PORK PRODUCERS TOLD TO ATTACK THE ATTACKERS Using a litany of war terms and quoting Al Capone, Nick Nichols, a chief executive officer for a crisis management group in Washington, D.C., told delegates of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) that agriculture needs to use "attack technologies" to fight activists. According to a story reported March 26 in "Feedstuffs" magazine, Nichols delivered a speech at the National Pork Industry Forum defining activists as "attackers" and urging producers to "gather information about attackers, move quickly with both defensive and offensive strategies, deploy globally, fight like guerrillas and "take no prisoners." This speech comes on the heels of news last week that the USDA would reverse a democratic vote by family farmers to stop funding (checkoff) that had been going to the NPPC. Nichols urged producers to "tear down their mantle of virtue," i.e., showing that the attacker wants to take away something society values such as family farmers who produce chickens or livestock for integrators. This suggestion is sure to go over very well with the family farmers whose incomes have been ruined by price destroying and increasingly concentrated factory animal farming. If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this list,
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3/29/01