The Hindu : National : Tsunami takes centre-stage at International Berlin Farm Week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

National

National

Tsunami takes centre-stage at International Berlin Farm Week

By Gargi Parsai

BERLIN, JAN. 21. The tsunami cast its shadow on the opening of the 70th International Green Week, Berlin, 2005, here on Thursday evening. In a gesture of solidarity and mourning for farmers and fishermen who have lost everything in the tsunami-hit South Asian countries, the opening celebrations at the fair were kept at a low key.

Flags at all government buildings in Germany flew at half-mast on a special day of mourning for the tsunami victims. The European Union has contributed 1.5 billion euros for the rehabilitation of victims, while donations continue to pour in.

Germany's Minister for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture, Renate Kunast, renewed her appeal for more donations from sponsors and private individuals.

"The floods in Southern Asia have shown that catastrophes, wherever they occur, cannot remain purely a regional matter. They affect us all," Ms. Kunast said.

The theme of the opening remarks from Ms. Kunast, the E.U. Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mariann Fischer Boel, and the President of the German Farmers' Association, Deutscher Bauernverband, was "Agriculture is everybody's concern."

Ten new Eastern European nations have joined the E.U., which is now focusing on a common agriculture policy before the next World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations in Hong Kong in December 2005. The E.U. Common Agriculture Policy will enable further improvements in terms of market orientation, competitiveness and sustainability.

It would also allow structural adjustments in rural areas. This year the Czech republic is a partner of Germany at the 10-day Berlin Green Week, which is a meeting place for farmers and food industry to discuss achievements and problems.

Social justice

Ignoring protests in the form of a huge banner inside the International Congress Centre venue of the opening that said: "WTO creates Hunger," Ms. Kunst said 2005 would be the year of social justice. She said she would like to fulfil the demand that industrialised nations alter their behaviour and open their markets to developing countries. "Our goal is clear: success in Hong Kong," she said.

The E.U.'s stand in WTO would be to ensure that consumer protection, the protection of animals and environment and working conditions were dealt with on trade related criterion. The non-trade concerns would be based on world trade and agricultural production. "Employment protection, environmental protection, social standards all impact people in a big way and should not be seen as a new kind of protectionism," Ms. Kunast said.

Drawing attention to the E.U.'s high standards of hygiene and food safety, Ms. Boel, who is a member of the European Commission responsible for agriculture and rural development, said that even quality products such as organic cultivation must first prove their commercial viability. "The impetus must come from the demand side."

Mr. Bauernverband, representing farmers, demanded a well-defined policy for rural areas. He also cautioned his Government against pursuing vigorous reforms of regulations in the sugar market "resisting calls for destruction of what has been effective means of regulating the sugar market." Germany is on the verge of drastic reforms in the sugar sector, asking cultivators to diversify into bio-fuels and renewables to cut back excessive sugar production. He also differed with his Government on bringing a regulation against genetically modified food products.

More than 1600 participants from 55 countries have put up stalls at the fair. For the first time, Wellness Plus would hold its own show marked by the display of a range of products aimed against obesity. The Green Week shows the enthusiasm of farmers, industry and consumers marked by a high level of awareness about WTO issues. India, however, is conspicuous by its absence.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National