Food Security is Vital -Allister
26 June 2008
Speaking in a debate in the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament on food security, Traditional Unionist MEP, Jim Allister, said to him "Food Security" didn't just mean security of supply but also a supply of safe food. "This", he said "creates three legitimate expectations: that we would frame policies to guarantee a sufficiency of indigenous food production, that there would be a sustainable return for farmers and that we would protect our consumers from unsafe imports - the latter is not protectionism, but common sense."
The Agriculture Committee is embarking on compiling a report on food security, which it is hoped will help shape EU thinking and action over the coming years. Mr Allister said the report must not dodge, but tackle some difficult issues, including the impact on food prices of orchestrated market speculation. The MEP expressed concerns that such speculation was a driver in runaway feedstuff prices. It might be producing profit for some, but worldwide it was driving up food prices and increasing hunger in the developing world.
Returning to the fundamental of guaranteeing adequate safe food for Europe, Mr Allister said, "In this report we need also to address the GM issue again, because the continuing lack of flexibility and expedition in approving cheaper GM varieties in feedstuffs is a major contributor to huge hikes in prices, making food dearer than it need be. Europe has dithered for years on this issue, and still equivocates, while consumers and producers pay the price of this combination of dogma and indecision."
ENDS
