After all the headlines and TV news clips in recent weeks about U.S. farmers staging demonstrations against imports of Canadian grain and livestock, it is refreshing to once again see evidence that Canadian and American farmers can work together constructively.
In a well-timed announcement, 11 farm organizations issued a joint statement on agricultural trade.
It was a short statement of general principles, glossing over many specific contentious trade issues, but nevertheless important.
Part of the importance came from the list of organizations that found common ground:
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- American Farm Bureau Federation.
- Alberta Wheat Pool.
- Manitoba Pool Elevators.
- Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.
- Colorado Farm Bureau.
- Idaho Farm Bureau.
- Minnesota Farm Bureau.
- Montana Farm Bureau.
- Nebraska Farm Bureau.
- North Dakota Farm Bureau.
- South Dakota Farm Bureau.
The bureaus are scarcely fringe groups – the federation is a grassroots-up voluntary organization that has a membership of more than 4.7 million families, grouped in more than 2,800 county farm bureaus, which elect delegates to run 50 state farm bureaus.
So what do they all agree on? Among other things:
- “Freer and more open access to international markets for agriculture and agri-food products, and the elimination of unfair trading practices.”
- Enforcing a world agreement not to create illegitimate health and safety regulations that are really non-tariff barriers to trade.
- “The ultimate goal of all agricultural trade negotiations must be the simultaneous elimination of all export subsidies by all trading nations.”
- “Maximum possible reduction” in remaining tariffs on food. (The last world trade agreement allowed high tariffs to replace flat prohibitions that various countries had on selected foods and food products.)
- Regulating genetically modified products on the basis of science, not politics; avoiding unnecessary biotech labelling that could cause unfounded fear and become a trade barrier.
- Expressing concern about European subsidies on agricultural exports to North America.
While there was no mention of South Dakota’s recent blockade against Canadian grain and livestock, it is clear that the actions of state governor Bill Janklow were totally contrary to many of the principles endorsed by the 11 organizations – notably, including the farm bureau in his own state.
If farm groups from both sides of the border get together like this more often, the farmers they represent can ultimately only benefit.
