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Author: Fabio Fernandes

The EU-Mercosur Agreement is an opportunity, not a threat

This agreement provides the tools to oppose China in the region…

The agreement between the European Union and Mercosur is being called into question – under false pretexts. It is time to realise what is really at stake.

The trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur (an economic community comprising several South American countries) is criticised – or even practically dead to some. This was France’s intention from the outset: more protectionism, less free trade.

It all started with the fires in the Amazon, in Brazil. According to the forest and environmental expert Emmanuel Macron:

“Our house is burning. Literally. The Amazon, the lung of our planet that produces 20% of our oxygen, is on fire. It is an international crisis. Members of the G7, meet in two days’ time to talk about this emergency. #ActForTheAmazon”

With such calls, the right thing to do is to put things into perspective. We know that the number of fires in Brazil this year is higher than last year, but it is also about the same as in 2016 and lower than in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2012.

Although the number of fires in 2019 is indeed 80% higher than in 2018 – a figure that has been widely reported recently – it is only 7% higher than the average for the last ten years. Moreover, most of the fires are currently occurring on already deforested land in the Amazon.

The popular myth is that the Amazon is “the lung of the Earth”, producing “20% of the world’s oxygen”. At least that’s what Emmanuel Macron’s tweet says. In reality, both are inaccurate… and not just because your lungs don’t produce oxygen. Yet this figure will continue to circulate as long as there are reports to be delivered; the Associated Press agency itself has propagated it – it had to withdraw it afterwards.

According to the Scientific American :

“In fact, almost all of the Earth’s breathable oxygen comes from the oceans, and there is enough to last for millions of years. There are many reasons to be appalled by this year’s Amazon fires, but depleting the Earth’s oxygen supply is not one of them.”

So no, you won’t suffocate because of the fires in the Amazon.

Ireland and France are nevertheless proposing to terminate the agreement with Mercosur for environmental reasons. Unfortunately for them, no environmentalist pretext can hide their real motives: to defend the protectionist interests of Irish and French farmers, who have complained about increased competition from countries like Argentina.

This agreement is of great geopolitical importance; it is a vital sign against protectionism. If ratified, this agreement with Mercosur would establish the largest free trade area that the EU has ever created, covering a population of over 780 million inhabitants, and would consolidate the close political, economic and cultural links between the two areas.

The agreement eliminates tariffs on 93% of exports to the EU and grants ‘preferential treatment’ to the remaining 7%. In addition, it will eventually eliminate customs duties on 91% of the goods that EU companies export to Mercosur. The number of formal complaints to the WTO in 2018 was 122% higher than in 2009. In 2018, the EU was the second biggest defender of WTO complaints, almost twice as many as China.

Then there’s the importance of China.

This country is not mentioned at random. It is crucial to understand the Chinese influence in South America. Since 2005, the China Development Bank and the China Export-Import Bank have granted more than $141bn in loans to countries and companies belonging to Latin American and Caribbean states.

In Latin America and elsewhere in the world, Chinese loans are seen as both profit-seeking and a form of diplomacy. The Development Bank focuses on eight areas: electricity, road construction, railways, oil, coal, telecommunications, agriculture and public services. With this agreement, it becomes possible to counter Chinese influence. France and Ireland must stop opposing it and work on a joint agreement in Europe.

Giving consumers more choice, guaranteeing more free trade for producers on both sides and defending geopolitical interests through trade policy: all this should be obvious. Unfortunately, it seems that nothing is obvious anymore, at least for the current political class.

Originally published here.

[UK] ADVANCING OUR HEALTH: PREVENTION IN THE 2020s

What ideas should the government consider to raise funds for helping people stop smoking?

We believe that innovate harm-reducing alternatives can not only help people reduce harmful exposure, and even help them quit smoking regular tobacco, but also achieve that goal without the need for government funds. 

The UK’s permissive approach to e-cigarettes has shown a positive impact. According to the NHS, between 2011 and 2017, the number of UK smokers fell from 19.8% to 14.9%. At the same time, the number of e-cigarette users rose: almost half of these consumers use e-cigarettes as a means of quitting smoking. Public Health England has confirmed that e-cigarettes are 95% safer than conventional cigarettes. Therefore, consumers should be afforded the choice of vaping. 

We also do not believe that an aggressive approach to the matter will help with smoking cessation. Strict anti-tobacco measures have shown to be regressive, and tend to push and seal consumers in the black market for a long time. Smoking cessation is a difficult task, that can be achieved through harm reducing alternatives, such as e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn products, or snus (which is illegal in the European Union, except for Sweden). 

How can we do more to support mothers to breastfeed?

While breastfeeding is commendable, as it might advance the physical well-being of the child, it should be noted that not all mothers are able to provide the necessary quantity. This can lead to dehydration of the infant, leading to serious medical conditions. For those mothers, infant formula is a necessary alternative. We therefore support the continued zero-rating for VAT on baby milk.

Furthermore, the CCC supports the continuation of the Equality Act 2010, which allows mothers to breastfeed in all public places.

However, breastfeeding remains an individual choice of the mother, and can and should not be imposed. This is an intimate choice to be made by a mother, in which law-makers should not have a say.

How can we better support families with children aged 0 to 5 years to eat well?

It remains a continuous challenge to improve the nutrition of young children. This responsibility lies with the parents, you serve the function of caretakers and educators. In the age range of 0 to 5, this responsibility is most pronounced, and should be taken seriously. The Consumer Choice Center believes that parents have a moral obligation to inform themselves about healthy nutrition for their children. However, the reversal of the food pyramid has shown that institutionalised nutritional guidance can lead to adverse effects. The Harvard School of Public Health has pointed out that the food pyramid “conveyed the wrong dietary advice”. It also says: “With an overstuffed breadbasket as its base, the Food Guide Pyramid failed to show that whole wheat, brown rice, and other whole grains are healthier than refined grains.” The CCC is therefore sceptical about the idea of government-advised diets for children.

The obligation of parents to make informed choices about the nutrition of their children does not end at the age of 5. Quite on the contrary, as children get to the age of being able to be active in sports, they need to be encouraged to do so.

In October last year, Public Health England indicated that more than 37 percent of 10 and 11 year-olds in London are overweight or obese. It is often mistakenly argued, for this age, that this is caused by high energy intake, but the obesity rates are dependent on the physical activity, which according to Public Health England has decreased by 24 per cent since the 1960s. Daily calorie intake in the UK is also decreasing each decade.

Furthermore, the government should look towards relieving regulatory measures that increase the price of healthy foods.

How else can we help people reach and stay at a healthier weight?

It is often mistakenly argued that the obesity crisis is caused by high energy intake, but the obesity rates are dependent on the physical activity, which according to Public Health England has decreased by 24 per cent since the 1960s. Daily calorie intake in the UK is also decreasing each decade.

Physical activity is therefore paramount. Local government should foster and encourage the creation of outdoor fitness places, and facilitate the creation of interesting and safe public walkways, which can be used for physical exercise. The CCC also believes that community sports programmes should be a part of the government strategy on tackling obesity.

Have you got examples or ideas that would help people to do more strength and balance exercises?

Physical activity is paramount. Local government should foster and encourage the creation of outdoor fitness places, and facilitate the creation of interesting and safe public walkways, which can be used for physical exercise. The CCC also believes that community sports programmes should be a part of the government strategy on tackling obesity.

What are the top 3 things you’d like to see covered in a future strategy on sexual and reproductive health?

As of now, the UK applies a VAT rate of 5% on condoms. The Consumer Choice Center supports an exemption of these products from VAT. Condoms are not luxury sanitary products — they are essentially for advancing sexual and reproductive health, and guarantees the choice of consumers.

Sindicato quer que Ford reverta demissões

O Sindicato dos Metalúrgicos de Taubaté e Região (Sindmetau) quer que a Ford reveja a decisão de fechar as fábricas no Brasil e mantenha os empregos. Segundo o presidente do Sindicato, Claudio Batista, os trabalhadores foram “pegos de surpresa” com a decisão anunciada ontem.

“O sindicato vai fazer toda luta necessária para tentar reverter essa situação”, disse Batista. De acordo com ele, os 830 funcionários da fábrica em Taubaté tinham estabilidade no emprego até o fim de 2021, devido a um acordo de redução de jornada e salários feito no ano passado, em razão da Cvid-19. A unidade da montadora na cidade está há 53 anos de atividade.

A Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veículos Automotores (Anfavea) evitou comentar diretamente as razões e os impactos do fechamento das fábricas no Brasil.

“A Anfavea não vai comentar sobre o tema. Trata-se de uma decisão estratégica global de uma das nossas associadas. Respeitamos e lamentamos”, disse a entidade em nota.

No entanto, a associação comentou que os custos de produção têm afetado as montadoras no país. “Isso corrobora o que a entidade vem alertando há mais de um ano, sobre a ociosidade da indústria (local e global) e a falta de medidas que reduzam o Custo Brasil”.

Já a Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo (Fiesp) insiste que a alta carga tributária é um dos fatores que dificulta a manutenção da produção industrial no país. “A Fiesp tem alertado sobre a necessidade de se implementar uma agenda que reduza o Custo Brasil, melhore o ambiente de negócios e aumente a competitividade dos produtos brasileiros. Isso não é apenas discurso. É a realidade enfrentada pelas empresas”, disse, em nota, a federação.

Para Fabio Fernandes, diretor global de Relações Institucionais e Governamentais da entidade de defesa do consumidor Consumer Choice Center, apesar da decisão da Ford de fechar suas fábricas no Brasil impactar os consumidores, não há razão para desespero.

“O fechamento das fábricas da Ford no Brasil segue uma tendência mundial de queda na venda de veículos que foi drasticamente acentuada em 2020 em decorrência da pandemia. O setor automotivo enfrentou uma série de transformações tecnológicas nos últimos anos, e os consumidores estão mais exigentes e conscientes dessas mudanças, o que tem obrigado as empresas tradicionais a reestruturarem os seus negócios. O problema, é que os ciclos de produtos na indústria automotiva são, de pelo menos, cinco anos, e as mudanças estão acontecendo mais rápido do que a capacidade das empresas de acompanhar”, disse Fernandes.

“Os consumidores brasileiros não têm nada com que se preocupar no médio prazo. Os proprietários dos modelos que serão descontinuados, terão acesso a manutenção, peças e mais importante à garantia. O fabricante é obrigado a manter a oferta de peças de reposição mesmo com o fim da produção dos modelos por um prazo razoável, e acreditamos que esse tempo seja de, pelo menos, mais 15 anos”.

“Além do mais, o anúncio da Ford é para o fechamento das fábricas no Brasil e não para as concessionárias. A marca continuará a vender carros no país e inclusive anunciou novos modelos que chegarão ao mercado. O consumidor no final terá acesso à um produto mais internacional”.

Originally published here.

November 2020

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It’s November, time to be thankful!


Hi there *|FNAME|*,

Hunkered down, quarantined, or super productive in home office, I hope you’re receiving this newsletter with some measure of delight!

For our team, we’re used to being on the road at this time: testifying before some government committee, meeting new partners and allies, or presenting our research to a group of journalists at a press conference. But alas…


Here are some of the latest and greatest from my colleagues at Consumer Choice Center. We’re thankful for you, your attention, and your belief in our mission.

U.S Elections

The US elections are (finally) (somewhat) over but our struggle for smarter consumer policies is far from done. While the role of social media played a crucial part in the election and was highly debated, I penned an article making the case for how NOT to respond to actions social networks must take to safeguard information.

I called it “How Not to Respond to Alarming Social Media Censorship” — does that catch your attention? 

READ HERE

Election Analysis on Consumer Choice Radio on Big Talker 106.7FM

WATCH HERE

Me on ANews to discuss Elections aftermath

WATCH HERE

Agriculture

Not to be outdone, Fred spoke at the annual meeting of Euroseeds on why consumers deserve to have access to modern agriculture and new breeding techniques such as Gene Editing. You can catch a clip of that speech here.

And always quick with the wit, our colleague Bill Wirtz slammed the EU’s “Farm-to-Fork” strategy, calling it “too much of a political utopia”. Ouch.

READ HERE

How to feed 11 billion people?

You can also find Fred’s piece on how to feed 11 billion people by 2070 in the Parliament Magazine

READ HERE

More Webinars!

Our last webinar on Illicit Trade had over 2,000 viewers — w00t!

Our next webinar will be on November 19th with MEP Liesje Schreinemacher, discussing market place safety in the European Union. Head on over to YouTube to click the “reminder” button when it goes live!

WATCH LIVE HERE

Illicit Trade

Though she can’t travel outside of Europe at the moment, Maria wrote in an article in far-off South Asia in the Sunday Daily Malaysia on how to fight black markets and on Euractiv on the same topic.

Canadian Plastics Ban Would Be A Travesty

And this newsletter wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of our own David Clement, this time in the Toronto Sun newspaper articulating why Prime Minister Trudeau should steer clear of banning plastic — especially in the midst of a pandemic when plastic has become vital to fighting the virus!

READ HERE

How vaping is a gateway out of smoking?

Just to pique your interest a bit more, Maria partnered up with Michael Landl of the World Vapers Alliance to write this study on how vaping is a gateway out of smoking. Several media outlets across the world picked up their paper and we expect to see a lot more action in the coming weeks.

They call it the “Vaping and the Gateway Myth” — LOVE it!

READ HERE

Why the VAT on medicines should be reduced

Bill made the case in English, German, and Indonesian media outlets why the VAT on medicines should be reduced to 0%. It’s vital for patients who need access to life-saving drugs.

READ HERE

Europe Digital Market

Our colleague Maria isn’t done — she wrote an article on why Europe needs to reform its Digital Markets and had it published in Parliament Magazine. You WON’T want to miss.

READ HERE

Legal Reform

Oh yes, and I figured I wouldn’t let you go without a final article on LEGAL REFORM, this time on the public nuisance cases that are bloating our courts and costing consumers. It was featured in the Miami Herald in the days after the election — you’ll even see that some of my predictions came true!

READ HERE

Thank you for your attention, Happy Fall, and hope to see you again soon!

Yaël Ossowski
Deputy Director
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October 2020

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It’s October, it’s spooky time!


Dear *|FNAME|*,

The world without consumer choice would be a truly spooky place to be. There would be no intellectual property to safeguard innovation, no genetic modification as a means to make agriculture more sustainable, no vaping as a safer alternative to smoking, no sugar, no free trade… and no fun at all!

Thankfully, with all the amazing work my colleagues at the Consumer Choice Center are doing, consumers and their choices are in safe hands.

In North America

US Vaping Index: Yaël and David crunched the numbers and ranked all 50 US states on how friendly their regulations are towards vapers. New York and California are the states vapers might want to think twice before moving there.

Read Here

Pushing against a plastics ban

In response to the Canadian government’s plastic ban announcement, David published this thorough critique in the Financial Post highlighting how a plastics ban does little to address marine waste, inflates costs for consumers, and could jeopardize Canada’s position as a trading nation. 

Learn More

Canzuk as a Covid19 vaccine?

The Canadian economy has taken a huge hit as a result of the pandemic. David wrote for the Western Standard on how a CANZUK trade deal could help promote economic growth, and benefit Canadian consumers. 

Read Here

Consumer Choice Radio

Yaël and David interviewed the IEA’s Chris Snowdon on alcohol policy: U.S. dietary guidelines want to decree that no adult should ever enjoy a 2nd beer @cjsnowdon says it’s the latest move by prohibitionists and there’s no evidence to support it. 

Read Here

Divorcing health insurance from jobs and the WHO comes out against lockdowns

In the Boston Herald newspaper, my colleague Yaël made the consumer case for separating health insurance from people’s jobs. This would allow individuals to choose their own plans, increase competition, and lower prices for everyone. Read it here for the bold idea.

Speaking of bold, the World Health Organization, our favorite organization, has finally stated what we’ve known all along: COVID lockdowns hurt the poor and should not be a primary method of trying to control the virus. Yaël breaks it down on FEE.org. 

Read Here

Meanwhile in Europe

Economist’s Panel: On October 8th Fred participated in a panel discussion on Single-Use Plastics which was part of the Economists Sustainability Week.

On September 17th Bill moderated a discussion with two scientists on the future of gene editing in Europe. This event was specifically hosted for German members of parliament and their staff.

On September 24th, I interviewed the World Vapers’ Association Director Michael Landl on how vaping can help to beat cancer in a CCC webinar. Over 7,000 people watched it across platforms. Watch Here.

Euroseeds Conference: On October 13th Fred talked about the consumer perspective on the EU’s Farm2Fork strategy at Euroseeds Annual Congress.

Digital Single Market consultation: Luca joined a high-level consultation on the digital single market and digital services act of the EU. On the digital front, David made the case in the Western Standard why additional platform regulation would hurt Canadian consumers.

Read Here

Infographic: How to feed 10 billion people?

We produced a lot of content on Agriculture and Food Supply:

Bill’s sustainability paper is now available in German

Video: Bill asks three questions on sustainability to Mazaly Aguilar, MEP

Video: Bill asks three questions on the Farm to Fork strategy to Hermann Tertsch, MEP

Interview with Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes

Illicit Trade: Lessons from the Pandemic

Upcoming Webinar on illicit trade: Join us on October 28th for a deep-dive discussion on Illicit trade. During the event, we will touch on very many areas where illicit trade is flourishing, in particular healthcare, digital, and agriculture.

Use the link below to watch the broadcast.

Watch Here

Protecting Intellectual Property in Brazil

In Brazil, a patent application waits between 7 to 10 years, delaying technological evolution. With the rapid technological evolution we have, patent waiting time can age new technologies, making them old by the time they are approved.

Article 40 of the Intellectual Property Rights Law (No. 9,279) recognizes this and, therefore, automatically grants the patent a minimum exclusivity of ten years, to compensate for administrative delays. However, the Federal Supreme Court is expected to rule on this article shortly. Is innovation in Brazil in danger?

My colleague Fabio is fighting for intellectual property rights in Brazil.

Learn More

We’re listening.

Let us know if you have any ideas on what we should be focusing on in the future!

Maria Chaplia
European Affairs Associate
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[EU] SCHEER Consultation: setting the facts straight

Last month, an EU Committee called the SCHEER launched a “preliminary opinion on e-cigarettes” that is ram-packed full of biased arguments against vaping, is missing crucial facts about vaping and avoids any form of comparison with cigarettes.

As is obliged of them, the SCHEER has sought feedback on their preliminary opinion from the scientific community and stakeholders. As the voice of 19 associations worldwide, representing tens of thousands of vapers, we believe that our voice is important in the debate – in particular, because the consultation is structured to make it challenging for individuals to submit their experiences or testimony 

Therefore, we – as an organisation representing consumers – believe that it is our responsibility and duty towards all the vapers who count on us to protect their rights, to make sure that we set the record straight. Our consultation response was officially submitted on 21 October, and you can read it here.

We wanted to make sure that the facts are out there, in front of the SCHEER Committee. 

  • Fact: “E-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than smoking.”
  • Fact: “Vaping is a gateway OUT of smoking, not the other way around.”
  • Fact: “Vaping is twice as effective as other smoking cessation methods.”

We will be closely following the developments around this opinion and hope to see the committee take into consideration much of the science on vaping that was seemingly ignored in their first draft. 

Meanwhile, we are here to support and amplify the voice of the millions of vapers worldwide who have had their lives changed for the better.

The Farm to Fork es una utopía política demasiado grande.

Para 2030, la Unión Europea tiene como objetivo lograr una amplia gama de objetivos, de acuerdo con la estrategia “De la granja a la mesa” de la Comisión Europea. Desde un punto de vista político, el documento es la confirmación de una tendencia: las ideas verdes están ganando importancia en la política del día a día de Bruselas y están logrando muchos de sus objetivos con esta hoja de ruta.

De acuerdo con la Estrategia de Biodiversidad, que se presentó al mismo tiempo que la Estrategia “De la granja a la mesa”, la Comisión Von der Leyen parece ser más ecológica que sus predecesoras. ¿Pero esto también es bueno para los agricultores y los consumidores?

En el corazón de “De la granja a la mesa” está la reducción a la mitad de los pesticidas para 2030, incluidos los que la Autoridad Europea de Seguridad Alimentaria (EFSA) ha considerado seguros. Esto debería plantear preguntas a primera vista: si estos productos han sido seguros hasta ahora, ¿por qué deben reducirse? Si no se ha comprobado que sean seguros hasta ahora, ¿por qué no se han prohibido antes?

El objetivo de reducir a la mitad es incomprensible en este sentido. Si los productos fitosanitarios son fundamentalmente perjudiciales para la salud humana, el 50% restante es tan maligno como los que se eliminarán gradualmente.

La verdad es engañosa. Existe una discrepancia entre la retórica científica y política. La mayoría de los productos fitosanitarios establecidos han sido clasificados como seguros durante mucho tiempo, tanto por estudios independientes como por varias instituciones nacionales e internacionales.

Esto no ha impedido que muchos los cuestionen de todos modos, y con razón. Cambios en el conocimiento científico: quienes tienen nueva evidencia están obligados a presentarla en interés de la seguridad alimentaria. La ciencia no es una construcción estática grabada en piedra como una verdad única y absoluta.

Para los que se oponen a estos medios, no se trata de un debate científico, sino de una cuestión ideológica de principio. Las intervenciones en la naturaleza se ven con escepticismo, independientemente de su importancia para la seguridad alimentaria.

Estos activistas deben saber que no todo lo natural tiene que ser saludable: por ejemplo, los mohos naturales transportan aflatoxinas, que son responsables de una gran proporción de los casos de cáncer de hígado en el mundo. En África, el 40% de todos los casos de cáncer de hígado se atribuyen a las aflatoxinas.

Estos se han combatido con fungicidas durante muchos años, pero ahora se prohibirán cada vez más de estos productos.

A menudo es suficiente tener una conversación con un agricultor. Por el momento, la mayoría de la gente se queja de la falta de lluvia, pero a largo plazo, el catálogo cada vez más reducido de pesticidas permitidos es un problema real. Los insectos se comen las existencias, independientemente de lo que diga o regule la Comisión Europea.

Esto conduce a precios más altos en el supermercado, lo que es desastroso para muchas personas de bajos ingresos, especialmente en vista del desequilibrio económico actual. Este no es un problema principal para el comisario holandés de Cambio Verde, Frans Timmermans.

En un discurso ante la Comisión de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural del Parlamento Europeo el 7 de mayo, dijo que estamos acostumbrados a la comida barata durante demasiado tiempo y que necesitamos un cambio de paradigma en términos de agricultura sostenible.

Si los consumidores soportan las consecuencias de tales experimentos y los agricultores no tienen otra alternativa que enfrentar los obstáculos de los problemas naturales, ¿no es hora de repensar nuestra política agrícola?

Originally published here.

Το «Farm to Fork» είναι μια ουτοπική πολιτική

Το νέο σχέδιο της ΕΕ για βιώσιμα συστήματα τροφίμων κινδυνεύει να βλάψει τόσο τους καταναλωτές όσο και τους αγρότες, γράφει ο Bill Wirtz.

Μέχρι το 2030, η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση επιδιώκει να επιτύχει ένα ευρύ φάσμα στόχων, σύμφωνα με τη στρατηγική «Farm to Fork» της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής. Από πολιτική άποψη, το έγγραφο αποτελεί την επιβεβαίωση μιας τάσης: οι πράσινες ιδέες αποκτούν σημασία στην καθημερινή πολιτική των Βρυξελλών και επιτυγχάνουν πολλούς από τους στόχους τους με αυτόν τον χάρτη πορείας.

Σύμφωνα με τη στρατηγική για τη βιοποικιλότητα, η οποία παρουσιάστηκε ταυτόχρονα με τη στρατηγική «Farm to Fork», η Επιτροπή Von der Leyen φαίνεται να είναι πιο πράσινη από τους προκατόχους της. Αλλά αυτό είναι επίσης καλό για τους αγρότες και τους καταναλωτές;

Στην καρδιά του «Farm to Fork» βρίσκεται το μισό των φυτοφαρμάκων έως το 2030, συμπεριλαμβανομένων εκείνων που έχουν βρεθεί ασφαλή από την Ευρωπαϊκή Αρχή για την Ασφάλεια των Τροφίμων (EFSA). Αυτό θα πρέπει να θέσει ερωτήσεις εκ πρώτης όψεως: εάν αυτά τα προϊόντα ήταν ασφαλή μέχρι τώρα, γιατί πρέπει να μειωθούν; Αν δεν έχουν βρεθεί ασφαλείς μέχρι τώρα, γιατί δεν έχουν απαγορευτεί νωρίτερα;

Ο στόχος της διχοτόμησης είναι ακατανόητος υπό αυτήν την έννοια. Εάν τα φυτοπροστατευτικά προϊόντα είναι θεμελιωδώς επιβλαβή για την ανθρώπινη υγεία, τότε το υπόλοιπο 50% είναι εξίσου κακοήθη με αυτά που θα καταργηθούν.

Η αλήθεια είναι δύσκολη. Υπάρχει μια διαφορά μεταξύ της επιστημονικής και της πολιτικής ρητορικής. Τα περισσότερα καθιερωμένα προϊόντα προστασίας των φυτών έχουν από καιρό χαρακτηριστεί ως ασφαλή, τόσο από ανεξάρτητες μελέτες όσο και από διάφορους εθνικούς και διεθνείς οργανισμούς.

Αυτό δεν εμπόδισε πολλούς να τις αμφισβητήσουν ούτως ή άλλως, και δικαίως. Οι επιστημονικές γνώσεις αλλάζουν: όσοι έχουν νέα στοιχεία υποχρεούνται να το παρουσιάσουν προς το συμφέρον της ασφάλειας των τροφίμων. Η επιστήμη δεν είναι ένα στατικό κατασκεύασμα που τίθεται σε πέτρα ως μοναδική και απόλυτη αλήθεια.

Για τους αντιπάλους αυτών των μέσων, δεν πρόκειται για επιστημονική συζήτηση, αλλά για ιδεολογικό ζήτημα αρχής. Οι παρεμβάσεις στη φύση αντιμετωπίζονται με σκεπτικισμό, ανεξάρτητα από το πόσο σημαντικές είναι για την επισιτιστική ασφάλεια.

Αυτοί οι ακτιβιστές θα πρέπει να γνωρίζουν ότι δεν είναι όλα τα φυσικά που πρέπει να είναι υγιή: για παράδειγμα, τα φυσικά καλούπια φέρουν αφλατοξίνες, οι οποίες είναι υπεύθυνες για ένα μεγάλο μέρος των περιπτώσεων καρκίνου του ήπατος στον κόσμο. Στην Αφρική, το 40% όλων των περιπτώσεων καρκίνου του ήπατος αποδίδεται σε αφλατοξίνες.

Αυτά έχουν καταπολεμηθεί με μυκητοκτόνα για πολλά χρόνια, αλλά όλο και περισσότερα από αυτά τα προϊόντα πρέπει τώρα να απαγορευτούν.

Συχνά αρκεί να συνομιλείς με έναν αγρότη. Προς το παρόν, οι περισσότεροι παραπονούνται για έλλειψη βροχής, αλλά μακροπρόθεσμα, ο συρρικνωμένος κατάλογος των επιτρεπόμενων φυτοφαρμάκων είναι ένα πραγματικό πρόβλημα. Τα έντομα καταναλώνουν αποθέματα, ανεξάρτητα από το τι λέει ή ρυθμίζει η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή.

Αυτό οδηγεί σε υψηλότερες τιμές στο σούπερ μάρκετ, το οποίο είναι καταστροφικό για πολλούς χαμηλού εισοδήματος άτομα, ιδίως ενόψει της τρέχουσας οικονομικής ανισορροπίας. Αυτό δεν αποτελεί πρωταρχικό πρόβλημα για τον Ολλανδό Επίτροπο για την Πράσινη Αλλαγή Frans Timmermans.

Σε ομιλία του στην Επιτροπή Γεωργίας και Ανάπτυξης της Υπαίθρου του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου στις 7 Μαΐου, είπε ότι έχουμε συνηθίσει για φτηνά τρόφιμα για πολύ καιρό και ότι χρειαζόμαστε μια αλλαγή παραδείγματος όσον αφορά τη βιώσιμη γεωργία.

Εάν οι καταναλωτές φέρουν τις συνέπειες τέτοιων πειραμάτων, και οι αγρότες δεν έχουν άλλη εναλλακτική λύση αλλά να αντιμετωπίσουν τα εμπόδια των φυσικών προβλημάτων, δεν είναι καιρός να επανεξετάσουμε τη γεωργική μας πολιτική;

Originally published here.

$143 Million Cannabis Bust Confirms Diversion From Medical Program To Illegal Marke

On October 22nd, Ontario Provincial Police announced that they have seized $143 million worth of illegal cannabis in the last 4 months. In addition to that, police confirmed that the seized cannabis was a result of criminal networks exploiting Health Canada’s medical cannabis personal and designate production regime.

David Clement, Toronto based North American affairs manager for the Consumer Choice Center responds: “The OPP’s report confirms was we speculated in April, which is that organized crime has weaseled its way into the permit process,” said Clement.

“In April, via Access to Information Requests, we were able to show that the personal and designate program produces 2.5 – 4.5 times more cannabis than the legal market. Unfortunately that excess cannabis is being diverted into the illegal market. Health Canada should review the permit process to ensure that criminal networks aren’t using it to fuel their nefarious activities.

“That said, the government shouldn’t target legitimate permit holders. Doing so would violate their constitutional rights, and would be exceptionally cruel given how marginalized this group has historically been. Rather than trying to arrest their way out of the problem, the government should focus on transitioning permit holder growers into the legal market. Making it easier for for excess cannabis to end up in the legal market, coupled with a Health Canada review for criminal activity, would go a long way in stamping out the black market,” said Clement.

Originally published here.

The Best and Worst States To Vape, Ranked

The Consumer Choice Center, a US-based consumer advocacy group, recently released a report looking at vape laws across the US. The group sought to rate different states on their current vape laws. The US Vaping Index, as the report is called, looked at several factors to determine which states were vaping-friendly, and which were not.

The report grouped the states into three different categories. They also assigned a grade to each state. The Index is a useful tool for vapers. It is a convenient way to understand the regulations in their state. It also provides vapers with a way to start campaigns to get anti-vaping laws and regulations overturned.

The Index is a comprehensive report as every state, including Washington DC, was examined. The Index did not look at pending legislation, like Michigan’s potential flavor ban. It also did not look at the laws of individual counties within each state. Instead, it focused on laws that were passed (or not passed) by statehouses around the US.

Read more here

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