argylesock says… Here’s what we know about trade negotiations, going on now between the European Union and the United States. It’s not easy to find out what’s happening but the article I reblog here provides a glimpse. ‘Trade could indeed be the vehicle through which societies are improved, jobs opportunities grown and environments strengthened.’ Yes it could. But will that be the outcome? Perhaps we’ll see more of the ‘consistent pattern of lowering food, environmental, labor, or consumer safety standards in behest to trade agendas.’
The United States and the European Union are currently negotiating a new free trade agreement known as the Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TFTA), sometimes also referred to as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The agreement aims to harmonize regulatory frameworks (particularly in the areas of food safety, consumer protections, and environmental standards) in the United States and Europe to made trade easier. Given the inability of the World Trade Organization to make progress towards closing the Doha Round over the past decade, many countries are moving to bilateral and regional blocs to liberalize international trade. The TFTA fits within this broader context.
But food policy advocates have raised several concerns over the potential impact of the proposed TFTA on food politics and in particular on labeling requirements.
Blogging at Huffington Post, Michael Lipsky argues that existing European regulations requiring labeling of GM foods could be weakened by the…
View original post 302 more words
Science on the Land 
Pingback: From sea to shining sea | Science on the Land