> ... What about the 3.3 million
> trucks that bring food in from across the border . how well is that food
> check ? and what are their laws like in other countries ? and when they
> expand the fair trade do they lessen pesticide residue laws? etc. Didn't
> Canada have to take a pesticide hit when the US forced them to take food
> with more pesticide in it as part of some fair trade agreement.
The following is a post from another source and my answer, done recently:
> "I'm in search of more info about the news reports that have proven that
> less than 2% of all imported produce is inspected by the FDA.
> The FDA claims that it is not their jurisdiction to inspect imported produce.
> So this produce just comes on in to our country and dinner tables from a
> foreign country, sprayed and irrigated with who knows what?!!
> Is this a real 'oops' with NAFTA, or is someone up to something? We can't
> drink the water in Mexico, what makes them think that we want or are
> willing to eat produce from Mexico? It's no wonder that so many people are
> sick!
> What can we do about this?
>
> Kathy Foster
> Riverside CFM
> Inland CFMA"
> "I'm in search of more info about the news reports that have proven that> less
than 2% of all imported produce is inspected by the FDA.
That may not sound like much but it should turn up any persistent problems
fairly
soon when any quantity is involved, which are of course followed up. I assume
the problem is mainly budgetary, and I know for a fact that when a given crop is
just beginning, it will most likely undergo an intensive inspection. The
inspectors are aware of what they're already familiar with and what they haven't
seen before, in terms of labels and products etc. And remember that everything
exported is inspected by the Mexican Ag authorities, who issue fito-sanitary
documents that accompany the truck and are delivered to U.S. officials, who
review them. Also, USDA inspectors inspect some products deep in Mexico.
> The FDA claims that it is not their jurisdiction to inspect imported produce.
> So this produce just comes on in to our country and dinner tables from a
> foreign country, sprayed and irrigated with who knows what?!!
> Is this a real 'oops' with NAFTA, or is someone up to something?
Actually, NAFTA has resulted in Mexico's Secretariat of Agriculture's adopting
standards comparable to the U.S.'s regarding the use of agrochemicals. (In
fact, when once I asked the agricultural attaché in Guadalajara which
agrochemicals were allowed for for a given crop that was to be imported into the
U.S. , he referred me to the Official Mexican Pesticide Catalog - which
surprised me at the time).
> We can't drink the water in Mexico,
Tap water is probably not recommended for drinking in most U.S. cities either,
but bottled water in Mexico is subject to Health Secretariat inspections and
should be safe. Incidentally, Mexicans frequently develop the same type of
intestinal problems in the U.S. when drinking water, that U.S. tourists
sometimes get in Mexico (until they adapt) - it seems that no one arrives with
resistance to any bacterial strains other than those prevalent in his own
environment.
> what makes them think that we want or are
> willing to eat produce from Mexico?
Obviously that's up to you, but I suspect you already do. (A large percentage
of the winter fruits in and vegetables consumed in the U.S. are grown in Mexico,
often by U.S. companies). Most Mexican produce consumed in California comes
from Sinaloa through Nogales, and many growers there are using biological
control for pest control even on conventional produce, in order to lessen the
probability that a problem will arise due to any residues. Growers that export
are generally familiar the standards they must comply with.
> It's no wonder that so many people are sick!
I would think that the air quality in Riverside County doesn't help much.
> What can we do about this?
You might try buying only organically grown fruits and vegetables (which are
also grown in Mexico, mostly for export), and I strongly recommend growing your
own, whenever possible. (I should add that the regulatory structure in Mexico
for organic foods meets OFPA's prerequisites, whatever that's worth).
> Kathy Foster
> Riverside CFM
> Inland CFMA"
Kathy, please feel free to email me directly if you want, should you have any
further questions about this issue. I'm the Director of a non profit
organization in Mexico, CeDeCoR, A.C. - Centro para el Desarrollo Comunitario y
Rural (Center for Community and Rural Development), that works with (mainly) low
income farmers and on ecological projects (we promote, support and provide
sustainable technology).
Douglas Hinds
Cd. Guzman, Jalisco
dmhinds@acnet.net
cedecor@acnet.net
Still at the border (Mission, TX)
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