TTIP TALKS: what's cooking?

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20 TTIP talks: What’s cooking? - Perspectives on Food & Farming
In conclusion, Robert Pederson
stressed that policy makers, civil
society and economic operators are
faced with some tough decisions
relating to the rational for increas-
ing trade, who will benefit and who
will bear the risks. TTIP is not about
Europe versus the US, but about a
corporate food agenda versus the
right of citizens to develop a food
system that is good for people and
the planet- now and in the future.
Therefore it is important that we
continue to develop the dialogue
between civil society and legislators
in both the EU and US to develop
an alternative to current practice in
food, agriculture and trade policy.
Robert Marshall Pederson – Food
Policy Coordinator, Arc2020 high-
lighted the potential impact on nutri-
tion and dietary transition, sustain-
able food and agriculture systems.
Food, agriculture and trade policies
are at a crossroads and must increas-
ingly deliver against a more com-
plex set of outcomes such as rural
development, environmental, social
justice, health and food consump-
tion.
As highlighted by the EU Commis-
sion appointed Standing Committee
on Agriculture Research (SCAR) 3rd
Foresight Report18 , “a radical change
in food consumption and production
in Europe is unavoidable to meet the
challenges of scarcities and to make
the European agro-food system
more resilient in times of increas-
ing instability and surprise.” This will
also entail a radical reform of trade
and how we think trade policy. The
United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD) calls
for a trade regime that supports the
transformation of food systems and
allows making local and regional
products the first choice19 .
Anand Grover, former UN special
rapporteur on the right to health20,
highlights that Trans-national
corporations – including food
and beverage companies and
supermarket chains – have been
some of the driving forces behind
free trade agreements. This free
trade food model is gradually
altering diets relying on traditional,
local and seasonal and unprocessed
foods to diets high in fats, salt,
added sugars and increasing
global demand for meat and dairy
products. Diets closely linked with
chronic diseases such as obesity,
certain cancers, heart disease, and
diabetes. The costs of poor diet
are substantial, it is estimated that
Cardiovascular Disease alone costs
the EU 196 B Euros21 . At a global
level, it is estimated that these non-
communicable diseases to cost 47
trillion US dollars, and a “business
as usual” approach will result in
productivity losses and escalation of
health care costs in all countries22 .
This is just one side of the picture.
TTIP will affect a number of areas
relating to food and agriculture.
Further intensification (forget about
the myth of ‘sustainable intensifica-
tion’) of food and farming systems
will put pressure on farmers to grow
as much and as quickly as possible,
as cheaply as possible, and to sell to
agribusiness companies which seek
ever-expanding export markets for
meat, other foods and animal feeds.
From this perspective food is just
one more commodity, rather than
the central element of a healthier,
more sustainable and equitable food
system. The impact of TTIP and other
free trade agreements on small and
medium size family farms, biodi-
versity, food safety standards – and
ultimately the health of ecosystems
and people need to be part of the
economic justification.
Proceedings of the Conference
TTIP: Socioeconomic Impact on Food and Farming
Proponents of free trade agreements,
including TTIP, promise that free trade will
bring jobs and growth, but it is important
to think about what sort of jobs and what
sort of growth, and to seriously examine
the consequences and costs associated
with TTIP and other free trade agreements.
What will TTIP mean for farmers, food and
health – will it undermine the progress we
have made so far in moving towards more
equitable, just, sustainable food systems.”
Robert Pederson, ARC 2020