In The News

Bush Links Europe's Ban on Bio-Crops With Hunger

David E. Sanger May 22, 2003
In his commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. President George W. Bush urged the European Union to lift the ban on bio-crops so as to make Africa not "fear being shut out of European markets." Many U.S. officials, including the President himself, have alleged that the European fear of bio-crops was without scientific basis. Meanwhile, one E.U. official, in response...

Vietnam Cutting Back on Coffee to Ease Glut

Jason Folkmanis May 19, 2003
After increasing coffee production more than six-fold in the past ten years to becoming the world's second biggest coffee producer, Vietnam is now trying to decrease its farmers' reliance on coffee. Global prices are simply too low to justify coffee's large role in Vietnam's agriculture, say officials. – YaleGlobal

Is It Legal to Stop North Korea’s Nuclear Exports?

David E. Sanger May 18, 2003
As the first round of negotiations with North Korea ended without positive results, the US is considering other strategies to deal with the nuclear crisis in Northeast Asia. The hawks in the Bush administration have come up with the "quarantine" solution, which will put North Korea in an isolated position, allowing only food into the country. They also advocate interdictions of North...

Please Pass the Parma Ham

May 6, 2003
This New York Times editorial argues that of all the issues separating the Old and New Worlds, a food fight just seems silly. The EU's push – through the World Trade Organization – for increased protection of geographical indicators is being opposed by the US and other countries. Feta cheese, the EU's argument goes, is really Greek and should be protected as a Greek trademark....

Kedah to Boost Fish Exports Via Genetics Project

Leslie Lau April 8, 2003
The world's fish market is huge, and Malaysia aims to take a piece of the profit pie. Working together with the World Fish Centre, the government in Kuala Lumpur is closely controlling breeding practices to boost its commercial production of the tilapia fish. The Malaysian project might match the 85% size increase recently achieved in the Philippines, but it will need to emphasize taste to...

French's Unmentioned British Flavor

Floyd Norris March 28, 2003
American resentment over political issues has begun to take its toll on goods and services imported from countries such as France and Germany. French’s Mustard's ‘All-American’ publicity campaign aimed to distance its company (British-owned, in fact] from any connection to France – except the name. On French’s website, however, there were no American flags waving in the background, so as to...

Protection of Native Resources Demanded

Pennapa Hongthong March 13, 2003
Intellectual property rights experts and farmer's rights activists in Thailand are up in arms over their government's proposed native-resources protection bill. The bill, designed to protect the country's native animal and plant species, has been drafted to help Thailand comply with the World Trade Organization's agreement on trade in intellectual property. The main fault in...