USDA Secretary Sees Difficult Talks on Trade between US and EU

Differences in GM crop regulations between the US and European Union will make transatlantic trade deal difficult, according to the US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. He mentioned this during a media interview at the G20 agriculture ministers meeting held in Istanbul.

"You can't use and create a system of open or free trade if you are creating ways in which countries can develop barriers to products for political or cultural reasons," Vilsack said, pointing out the recent European Commission proposal to give member governments to have control over GM crops. "You ought to give people the choice, then let the market decide," he suggested. He also emphasized that GM crops enable more production under difficult circumstances, expanding the food supply and lowering food prices. Thus, Americans are spending around 10 percent of pay for food.

Read the news article from AgWeb.