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Obama’s Chief Agricultural Negotiator Nominee a Pesticide Pusher
The industrial agriculture complex has been doing back flips for the last few weeks, first because of the ascendance of Blanche Lincoln (ConservaDem-AR) to the high throne of the Senate Agriculture Committee, where she promises to pinch climate legislation (or at the very least shove it aside until next year) and push a southern Big Ag agenda in the Senate for rice and cotton interests. Now, the White House has announced Islam A. Siddiqui, current Vice President for Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America (you will remember the organization as the one that sent the First Lady a letter admonishing her for not using pesticides on the White House garden) as nominee for Chief Agricultural Negotiator, who works through the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to promote our crops and ag products abroad.
Why does it matter if the Vice President from the trade association representing pesticides and other agricultural chemicals takes over the Office of Agricultural Affairs at the USTR? Well, because that office, according to the USTR website "has overall responsibility for negotiations and policy coordination regarding agriculture." That means he would oversee the office dedicated to:
Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and World Trade Organization (WTO) Development Agenda (Doha) negotiations on agriculture, operation of the WTO Committees on Agriculture and on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures, agricultural regulatory issues (e.g., biotechnology, cloning, BSE, nanotechnology, other bilateral SPS issues, and customs issues affecting agriculture), monitoring and enforcement of existing WTO and FTA commitments for agriculture (including SPS issues), and WTO accession negotiations on agriculture market access, domestic supports and export competition, and SPS matters.
The Chief Agricultural Negotiator is essentially a 'spokesperson' for American agriculture (perhaps the ‘bad cop' to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack's ‘good cop') who is in charge of selling our agricultural products abroad - products of a synthetic agriculture that is dependent on too many oil inputs, too much water and a stable climate to persist as the norm into the future. Here is an official job description for the Chief Agricultural Negotiator from the website Progressive Government:
The Chief Agriculture Negotiator for the United States conducts critical trade negotiations and enforces trade agreements that relate to U.S. agricultural products and services. Also works to expand the access for America's farmers and agricultural producers to overseas markets and is responsible for directing all U.S. agriculture trade negotiations anywhere in the world. This includes multilaterally in the World Trade Organization (WTO), regionally in the Free Trade Area of the Americas, and bilaterally with various countries and groups of countries such as Australia, Central America, Chile, Morocco, and the South African Customs Union. The ambassador also resolves agricultural trade disputes and enforces trade agreements, including issues related to new technologies, subsidies, and tariff and non-tariff barriers and meets regularly with domestic agricultural industry groups to assure their interests are represented in trade. He or she also coordinates closely with U.S. government regulatory agencies to assure that rules and policies in international trade are based on sound science.
What might a former employee of CropLife think is sound science? And what might his agenda be for expanding our markets abroad? I'm sure Siddiqui is already a regular at agricultural industry meetings, and will be ready and willing to say just what they'd like to hear. (Before CropLife, Siddiqui also served in the Clinton administration under former Ag Secretary Dan Glickman, the Ag Secretary best known for taking part in the sign-off of GM seeds as 'substantially equivalent' to other seeds, thus an argument for why they should not be labeled.)
Here is a little bit more about CropLife from Sourcewatch:
The image [the pesticide industry] presents is one of a hi-tech, efficient, responsible, and green industry that is already thoroughly regulated to assure the safety of its products. While the industry quietly pursues an anti-regulatory agenda to assure no pesticides would be removed from the market, its trade association claims its aim is to "promote increasingly responsible, science-driven legislation and regulation." ... In March 2004, CropLife poured funding into a campaign to defeat a Mendocino County ballot initiative - known as Measure H - that would make the country [sic] the first to ban genetically engineered crops. In the lead up the the vote CropLife contributed over $500,000 - more than seven times that of the initiative supporters - to defeat the proposal. Despite the massive campaign against the initiative, the bio-tech industry suffered a humiliating defeat. The measure passed by a margin of 56% to 43%.
In other words, the Obama administration has chosen someone from an organization dedicated at all costs to chemical-based agriculture to represent our trade interests abroad. All in the name of selling more Round-Up and GM seed, as well as siphoning off our excess commodities to China for their growing CAFO industry, all for our own short term economic interests.
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30 Comments so far
Show Alldouble post
first off - having chosen summers, geitner and emmanual for his "economic" team is it any wonder - and i do mean any wonder - that he chose an industry insider yet again
secondly, the whole food chain of production from pesticides, to oil based fertilizers, to the machines who run them, including the corporations that make them are all part of the american foreign policy - the rockefeller policy - throw in the poisonous gmo's, the dictation to the american government of our policy and you see the rockefellers all over EVERYTHING.
that's the way it is
obama spent his working career in a rockefeller foundation
as john lennon once said: one and one and one is three
the progressives in this country really need to learn the abc's of how/who and what this country is
how we have vandalized the world for the rockefellers and their profit margins and becasue they control the educationy sytem as well as oil and food production - and we never even see their grimy paws at work
in part thanks to their corporately owned media who tell us just what they (the rockefeller) want us to know, the truth be damned
its the measure of the ignorance of this country that they don't even know who runs it
We can have the whole White House Lawn an organic garden and it won't make a difference with Obama's agricultural policies. First his appointment of Vilsak-the Biotec Politician of the year/ a Monsananto Cheerleader, then His advocacy at the G-8 for a "green revolution" for Africa like that had failed in India(aka-support American Big-ag and Petro-chemical companies.) And now another industry man appointed as the chief agricultural negotiator. Obama-the Imperialist-
So many things to rail against, so little time. Our agricultural system is less than perfect (yawn).
Pesticides ! One of the major reasons farmers go poor and in some parts of the world commit suicide ! Getting rid of pesticides would not only keep farmers in business but it would also lower health care costs.
Who made you the CD comedian?
Actually, maxpayne is right. I think you need to examine the history of the tragedy of small farmers both here in the US and around the world. I have heard of the massive suicide of farmers in India some time ago and that was when Big Agri was moving into that country. Ditto for other nations. Do you really understand the long term pain and suffering we all have to face in terms of our health when we lose more small farmers to Big Agri? This is no laughing matter.
Farmer's suicides and sufferings are generally because of bad business decisions or bad weather or both. There are snake oil salesmen and shysters the world over. Supposed miracle products, half or quarter strength product, product substitution, short weights, the list goes on. The old saying, "If you're too dumb for anything else, you can always farm" also comes to mind. Take the farmer suicides for instance. With the vagaries of the weather, why would a rational, sane person take on significant debt, knowing that a crop failure would lead to death? This is not a tale of Big Ag, this is a tale of inadequate bankruptcy protections and cultural craziness.
Excuse me but the rise in suicides among farmers shot up when Big Agri moved in every time. The other factors could come close to that rising rate. Who are you, a paid Big Agri shill? Stop blaming the small farmers. They're already getting persecuted by the pols and Big Agri !
Small farmers all over this country believed the propaganda of the USDA, the banks, and industrial agriculture. The USDA urged loans, and USDA and banks funded loans. That is why many farmers lost their land in the 80's. Most farmers work harder than just about anybody and often while holding full time jobs. You don't have to be stupid to go into debt. Just start believing the hype.
Today I am a small farmer. For several decades I was a member of a moderately large family farm. In the 70s and early 80s, we spent money like it was going out of style and running up a considerable debt. I cautioned against some of the spending, but my father and uncle ran the farm and I was overruled. In 1985 our lender told us to get lost and sell out. After many highly stressful months, we managed to obtain financing and slowly work our way forward. Many other farmers of all sizes had serious problems. In most cases farmers simply borrowed too much. It's much too easy to blame the government, blame the banks, blame Monsanto and Big Ag. Hey, get real. It was greed. It was a desire to excel. It was a wish to give the kids something better. It was lots of stuff.
"In most cases farmers simply borrowed too much. It's much too easy to blame the government, blame the banks, blame Monsanto and Big Ag. Hey, get real. It was greed. It was a desire to excel. It was a wish to give the kids something better. It was lots of stuff."
Now this is where you cross the line. I find it hard to believe that you are a small farmer but then again poor conservatives and liberals sure the knack to vote against their own economic interests so god knows what you really are. But when you try to divert blame from the real culprits at the top to the small farmers, I detect that you are really a paid shill for Big Agri. No regular farmer in their right frame of mind would show the kind of insensitivity you are showing. Consider yourself the lucky rare few.
I know a lot of farmers in the third world had and have a difficult time. It's way to easy to pick out one thing to blame. I do know that in America, the majority (certainly not all) of farmers have and have had a good deal in many ways. Government farm programs have given people like me and most farmers a heck of a lot of money. What do we farmers do with all that cash? We buy new equipment (often when it's less than important). We bid up land prices and rental rates because a lot of farmers would love to farm more land. Often times farmers put on a little extra fertiliser and pesticide if they have a bit of extra money, just to make sure they haven't skimped. Not everyone in America is as lucky as American farmers are.
"We buy new equipment (often when it's less than important). We bid up land prices and rental rates because a lot of farmers would love to farm more land. Often times farmers put on a little extra fertiliser and pesticide if they have a bit of extra money, just to make sure they haven't skimped."
ARRRGH ! How dare you show your insensitivity to the health crisis of the people who need feeding and to the health of Mother Earth ! You think it's cool buying up equipment and petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides and going gung ho on putting profits before quality at all costs don't you? Excuse me while I try to lower my blood pressure you just raised !!
Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. My statement did not mean to imply there was anything "cool" about spending money on these things. I was merely stating facts about farmers buying habits. If a farmer does not pay serious attention to profits, he is soon no longer a farmer. For a large number of farmers that is quite devastating, but suicide is a bit of an over-reaction. Believe me, your definition of "quality" is far different from that of most farmers.
Ok, but your view differs sharply from most small farmers I met. Nothing wrong with profits but pushing too far for profits at the expense of the environment and people's health is crossing the line. Oh the spoils of unfettered capitalism !
By the way, do you realize that the majority of farmers in america are conservative Republicans?
Yes I already know that but even a great deal of those conservative Republicans don't like getting persecuted by Big Agri and government ! They may be social conservatives on the outside but they can be working class liberals deep down in their hearts. Their cries for economic liberalism are not being heard so they feel politically dejected and left out and will resort madly to social conservatism.
Yes, some truth in what you say.
Greg I'm sorry to say you are a fool. Maybe only an ugly american cultural fool but one none the less.
Don't get angry, most of us are fools in this isolated, brainwashed, dumbed down crumbling capitalist empire.
Please just google the topic any way you like and read the shockingly sad tales of some of these helpless people. People that we will become with in a very short generation.... if the arrogant ignorant slide continues in amerika's heart and soul.
Oh, yes the google topic would be: "India's farmers committing suicide" or some variation of.
Well, I may be a fool, but I'm a proud and opinionated fool(fabulous qualities, I'm sure). I am smart enough, however, to know I'm damn lucky to farm in a nation whose government supports its farmers.
Max ,not just the pesticides, but the loans needed when they cannot save and reuse heirloom seeds.The costs of spring loans for seed,fertiliser,pesticides and operating expenses put farmers at risk of default.Traditional low input agronomy with saved seed and appropriate technology was sustainable and productive.If a farmer dealt directly to local markets with a largely self sufficient model of operation he could sustain a years crop failure without financial failure.The present system does not allow that luxury to heavily indebted ,mortgaged ,i.e.(death pact) farmers. peace
Maybe O is just keeping his enemies closer. Sigh...!?
Peer reviewed scientific evidence now conclusively shows that most common ag pesticides, and many other environmental stressors, produce damage to the human epigenetic system - a system of non-DNA, methyl group bio-chemicals - i.e., normal bodily chemicals - whose proper functioning crucially signals genes to switch on and off and the right times.)
The same evidence shows that, unlike most environmentally acquired damage done to the DNA-alone, of an affected individual, epigenetic damage done to an individual is guaranteed to be passed on to that individual's progeny simply by one forebear having experienced the damage.
While not all environmentally-caused epigenetic alterations produce negative consequences for human heath (limited starvation experiences by one's genetic forebears, for example, can actually produce genetic benefit for their subsequent progeny), the toxins in most ag pesticides invariably produce negative epigenetic consequences for both the initial victim and his/her progeny -- and progeny's progeny, w/o end.
Google: Epigenetics, for the fuller picture.
If Obama isn't aware of all this, he damn well ought to be.
And if he is aware of it, and still appoints pesticide pushers to high government positions, it's just one more example of his Audacity of Bullshitting.
Doesn't this appointment need confirmation by the Senate? Write and call your senators.
The old saying, "if you are too dumb for anything else, you can always farm" comes to mind. The new saying, "if you are too dumb to farm, you can always go sit in a stuffy cubicle or office and pretend to be smart" has taken it`s place.
The 'old saying' certainly no longer applies. The 'way of life' idyllic farm stuff was wiped out in the 80s. It's business now. However, with crop farmers such as myself, good equipment, gm technology, heck, it's really a pretty damn good way of life with only a few weeks of really intense work, and opportunity for lots of time off through much of the year. Good luck with harvest, Kernelz.
lebeau it was also rockefeller nelson that is who had the
bright idea to start moving jobs to overseas factories.
this was in the late 50's early sixties. it took some time
but they got what they wanted. thet ALWAYS get what they want.
if any of you are farmers and want to kill yourself please
leave me your farm. it would be a nice career change and
also a nice change of life. just please move the chemicals over to the far side of the farm. you never want them to close
to the house! thanks oh and leave the key under the mat
nobody will ever find it there. i keep saying that when
obama taught at univ. of chicago that's when he started
to lose it.none of his picks are surprising here he
owed for campaign donations and these corps. always
get their man in the position they need them in.
for vilsack to be the good guy that's a scary thing.
What a disgusting pick for the nomination. We have been bamboozled. Please tell me there aren't a lot of core Dem apologists still excusing Obama. He has shown his true colors and deceived quite a few of us...many who still have their ostrich heads in the sand and are following him like lemmings at HuffPost.
Industrial Ag, offers dependence ,dept and death to the family farm.This in addition to the risks of weather diseased crops and pesticide resistant insects.Sure it is a labor saver,can save fuel,reduce erosion,but so can permaculture and bio-dynamic organic techniques.It is instructive that Crop Dusters are experiencing a renaissance and a technological boon due to G.P.S. and micro-encapsulation ,and low volume concentrates of the newer pesticides.
In an aside ,how ironic that the favorite means of farmer suicide in many countries is drinking pesticide?When all life is patented can we still "be free"?
I hold a supervisory pesticide applicators license in my state.It was required to offer Organic and Bio-rational Integrated Pest Management to my customers.I worked for years to try to craft Organic standards in my state and set a model based on N.O.F.A. standard for the National Organic Standards Board when they crafted the National Organic Standards for certification.Let me tell you the "Foxes "are guarding the "Chicken house"!This nomination is a big setback for "hope and change". peas in