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USTR 
Sun May 02, 2010 at 00:15:01 AM PDT
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The dairy industry is still weathering the worst crisis for their industry since the Great Depression. Although milk prices aren't at their lowest right now, credit has run out for many. Throughout the crisis, the government has given a few bits of help here and there to dairy but they haven't done anything substantial to address the corporate consolidation or the price manipulation that is hurting farmers. So in the midst of this, guess what they are doing now? How about a new trade agreement that will really screw dairy, even more than they are already hurting.
US Trade Rep Ron Kirk just made news by rejecting calls by Senators Feingold, Crapo, Specter and 27 other Senators to leave dairy out of the deal. FYI, Kirk served on the board of Dean Foods, one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the dairy industry, until he was appointed USTR last year.
In their letter to Kirk, the Senators wrote, "We have been informed that losses to U.S. dairy producers may total up to $20 billion over the first decade of the agreement if U.S. dairy restrictions on exports from New Zealand are fully phased out in the TPP."
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Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 07:57:46 AM PDT
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A top pesticide/biotech lobbyist as the U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative? I am horrified. Here's the guy's bio:
Islam A. Siddiqui is currently Vice President for Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America, where he is responsible for regulatory and international trade issues related to crop protection chemicals. Previously, Dr. Siddiqui also served as CropLife America's Vice President for agricultural biotechnology and trade. From 1997 to 2001, Dr. Siddiqui served in various capacities in the Clinton Administration at U.S. Department of Agriculture as Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Senior Trade Advisor to Secretary Dan Glickman and Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. As a result, he worked closely with the USTR and represented USDA in bilateral, regional and multi-lateral agricultural trade negotiations. Since 2004, Dr. Siddiqui has also served on the U.S. Department of Commerce's Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, and Health/Science Products & Services, which advises the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and USTR on international trade issues related to these sectors. Between 2001 and 2003, Dr. Siddiqui was appointed as Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he focused on agricultural biotechnology and food security issues. Before joining USDA, Dr. Siddiqui spent 28 years with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. He received a B.S. degree in plant protection from Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University in Pantnagar, India, as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology, both from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.[emphasis added]
The VP of Regulatory Affairs job title at CropLife means lobbyist. I'm about ready to board a plane right now but I'll see if I can dig up specific issues he lobbied on when I'm back online later. Write your outraged letters to the President here.
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