FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December
3, 2009
Contacts:
Kathy
Ozer, National Family Farm Coalition
kozer@nffc.net,
cell: 202.421.4544
Heather
Pilatic, Pesticide Action Network
heather@panna.org, cell: 415.694.8596
Ben
Lilliston, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
bLilliston@iatp.org,
612. 870.3416
As
Climate Talks Begin, Obama’s Change Mandate in Question
Siddiqui nomination undermines
U.S. credibility in international negotiations
Washington, DC – With
Copenhagen around the corner and failure of this week’s WTO negotiations, the
Obama administration’s international agenda and leadership style are coming
under scrutiny. In climate, food security and trade talks, the developing world
has shown a growing resistance to increased trade liberalization as a model of
international development – particularly with respect to agricultural goods and
markets. The potential confirmation of
controversial former pesticide lobbyist Islam Siddiqui as the U.S. trade
representative for agriculture threatens to further undermine this
administration’s credibility in international forums by privileging U.S.
corporate interests over the global public interest and common good.
Institute for Agriculture
and Trade Policy’s Alexandra Spieldoch explains: “The failed talks this week at the WTO do not come
as a surprise. They signal that now more than ever we need a new approach to
trade that addresses the root causes of global hunger and the challenges of
climate change. Siddiqui represents more of the same. It is time for a change.”
Siddiqui’s nomination is
currently stalled in the Senate Finance Committee, but a vote is expected any
day, with full Senate deliberations immediately following the Committee
vote. A broad coalition of groups delivered petitions to the White House
and Senate leaders opposing the nomination of Siddiqui for Chief Agriculture
Negotiator with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. More than 77,000 people
signed the petition calling for President Obama to remove Siddiqui’s name from
consideration; another 14,000 people emailed their Senators directly; and over
80 organizations sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee. The ad hoc coalition
includes sustainable agriculture, family farm, farmworker, environmental,
anti-hunger and trade groups from around the country.
Controversial
appointments like Islam Siddiqui – a former pesticide lobbyist – to represent
U.S. agricultural trade interests do not bolster Obama’s internationalist
credentials. Siddiqui is the current Vice President for Science and Regulatory
Affairs with CropLife America, a pesticide and biotechnology trade group known
for aggressively pursuing and protecting the interests of agribusinesses like
Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont and Dow. During Siddiqui’s term alone, CropLife has
been a driving force undermining U.S. compliance with international agreements
ranging from the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting chemicals to the Stockholm
Convention, an effort to regulate the use of toxic Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs) including DDT, PCBs and dioxins.
“If the US Congress confirms Siddiqui, he
will be well-placed to advance CropLife’s agenda of pushing deadly pesticides
and risky GMOs on consumers and farmers not only in the US but all over the
world,” warns Sarojeni Rengam, Executive Director of Pesticide Action Network
Asia Pacific. “It is this model of industrial agriculture that has contributed
to the escalation of global food and climate crises that are threatening the
survival of billions of people today.”
PAN North America’s Senior Scientist, Dr. Marcia
Ishii-Eiteman explains, “Greenhouse gas emissions go up with chemical- and
energy-intensive farming; they go down with organic and agroecological farming.
Siddiqui’s confirmation would tell the world that the U.S. values the interests
of our massive chemical and biotech industry over any serious concern for
stabilizing climate, protecting the planet’s ecosystems or defending the health
of farmers, farmworkers and future generations.”
“The U.S. needs a chief ag negotiator who
understands that current trade agreements work neither for farmers nor the
world’s hungry,” concludes Ben Burkett, Mississippi farmer and President of National
Family Farm Coalition. “We need someone with the vision to protect the public
interest, not tend to the profit margin of the most powerful global
agribusinesses.”
To view the petition to
President Obama protesting the nominations of Siddiqui and Roger Beachy,
visit: http://action.panna.org/t/5185/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2150
Groups co-hosting the
petition: Center for Food Safety, Center
for Biological Diversity, Credo, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Farmworker
Association of Florida, Food & Water Watch, Food Democracy Now!, Grassroots
International, Greenpeace, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, National
Family Farm Coalition, Organic Consumers Association and Pesticide Action
Network.
###
Institute
for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) works with organizations around
the world to analyze how global trade agreements impact domestic farm and food
policies. IATP advocates for fair trade policies that promote strong health
standards, labor and human rights, the environment and, most fundamentally,
democratic institutions. For more information visit http://www.iatp.org
National Family Farm
Coalition (NFFC),
founded in 1986, unites and strengthens the voices and actions of its diverse
grassroots members to demand viable livelihoods for family farmers, safe and
healthy food for everyone, and economically and environmentally sound rural
communities. For more information visit www.nffc.net.
Pesticide
Action Network (PAN) promotes the elimination of highly hazardous
pesticides and offers solutions that protect people and the environment. PAN
North America is one of five independent regional centers of PAN International,
a worldwide network of more than 600 organizations in 90 countries. For over 25
years PAN has fought for environmental justice, sustainable agriculture and
food sovereignty. For more information visit www.panna.org.
Available
for interviews:
Dr. Marcia Ishii Eiteman, Senior Scientist, Pesticide
Action Network, mie@panna.org,
(415) 981-6205, ext 325
Dena Hoff, Montana farmer & NFFC Vice-President, Chair
of Trade Task Force (406) 939-1839
Kathy Ozer, NFFC Executive Director (202) 543-5675
Tirso Moreno, The Farmworker Association of
Florida, (407) 810-3330
Dave Murphy, Director, Food Democracy Now!, (917) 968 –
7369, dave@fooddemocracynow.org
Ben Lilliston, Communications Director, IATP, (612)
870-3416, blilliston@iatp.org
Patrick Woodall, Food &
Water Watch, (202) 683-2487, pwoodall@fwwatch.org
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Hugg
E-mail this Story
Printer-friendly version