Two dinosaurs of world trade – the United States and the European Union – have begun talks on a bilateral free trade agreement in order to boost jobs and economic growth in their largely depressed economies. Most of the boost is expected to come from more harmonised regulations between the two markets, including on food safety. However, there is nothing in the proposals that will serve consumers or the public interest.
It is all about reducing the hoops for agribusiness. Not only would this hurt Europeans, whose clearly higher standards would be dragged down, but it would affect many other countries' food producers and consumers, since any deal reached between Washington and Brussels will set a new international benchmark. From genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to bisphenol A (BPA), the need to protect people from the industrial food system, not open the gates for it to spread, is more urgent than ever.