At 01:57 PM 10/9/97 -0400, Bob MacGregor wrote:
>I presume that the standards will apply to imported organic produce as
>well. As long as there is a significant price differential between
>conventionally (chemically) produced food and organic product, there
>will be incentive for foreign suppliers to penetrate US markets. If the
>market for organic foods continues to expand at the rate it has been for
>the past decade, it will undoubtedly attract the interest of more and more
>foreign suppliers. How will certification of offshore organic producers
>be controlled/assured?
>I have little faith in the ability of some (developing?) countries to enforce
>honest certification. Unfortunately, I suspect the burden of proof might
>be on the US. That is, the US might be in contravention of international
>trade rules if it tried to close the border to foreign-source organic
>products. But, how would US inspectors or consumers be able to
>assure that these goods were really produced by acceptable, organic
>methods?
>I welcome knowledgeable feedback to satisfy my curiosity.
>BOB
>rdmacgregor@gov.pe.ca
>
>
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