Why EU Triffid Flax Trade Barriers ?

[parsley]

Continuation from the other thread.

Well, I'm a little greener than usual behind the ears this morning,so go easy on me.

Here's what you say:
"wow, pars you are a little green behind the ears there if you really believe PR will fix the problem with the EU.

We need our scientists, exports etc. etc. to stand up to the illogical and twisted political gamesmanship that certain EU countries are playing....this is not about consumers but about trade barriers.

why didn't the EU approve Triffid Flax??....thats the real question (one you haven't yet asked)....is there a food safety issue we should know about???"



Okay cowboy, you want to line up scientists, who are often supported by taxpayers' grant money to go to Europe to square off with their peers, and give presentations about proteomes, etc. that provide evidence that the mathematical equations implemented that verify, lets pick one area, say, "occurence" are within the scientific measurable boundaries commonly agreed upon, but not in all instances. By all countries.

Uh huh.


And then do you want the scientists to have a press conference on the steps of the WTO press mound, mumbling away, as most scientists do, btw, I've got one in the family, until you offer to take them out for a lobster dinner to shut them up?

Lawsey.

These are governmental political organizations, and the government gets the final say! Not scientific ones.

We have an Ag Minister who's government policy was to open wheat marketing, but he got outfoxed by the Board itself.

Larry Hill t****sed up and down Canadian voter constituences via pr messages online, in papers, in parliamenet, through Wayne Easter, and essentially out-pr'ed the government!

By the time Ritz got to Geneva, if he even goes, he's scared to pop a fluffy in public bathrooms, for fear voters back home will hear or smell him.

All the lawyers in the world couldn't outalk that kind of propganda, nor can scientists.

And who gets the final word? The governments!

What was effective, was the Western Barley Growers' FARMERS heading down.
Only thing is they should have demanded time to be heard, and not allowed themselves to be closed off in some sideroom.(Marginalized in waiting.) Held their own press conferences. Hired someone to interpret.

The Dairy people live in Geneva's offices. Learn something.

It's called politicking. Pars

[parsley]

DanHenry33

Triffid in EU

1. The EU consumer who eats the flax does not think Triffid is safe.

2.If you are a EU politician, you do not tick off voters.You make regulations.

3. 70-80% of Canadian flax is sold in the EU.

Hard to understand?

Zaph suggests solving the lost market problem by dumping the EU market and start up a Canadian linoleum business. State run? Or do you prefer Monsanto owned? Pars

[parsley]

Don't wear your farmer's hat. Wear your consumer's hat when you answer this
<p></p>
<p class="EC_style8ptBK"><strong><a href="http://parsleysnotebook.blogspot.com">(GM food poll)</a></strong></p>

[LWeber]

http://www.spyble.com/

Two questions for you Pars:

1) Based on the geographic visitors over the past 30 days at Parsley's Notebook, who is PN educating - Canadians or Europeans?

This is a one word answer; Canadians or Europeans - don't need a soliloquy.

2) Based on current web stats at PN, is PN helping getting western Canadian farmer's flax moving?

One word answer; Yes or No - again, don't need a soliloquy.

[parsley]

1. Neither.
2. I have no influence

[LWeber]

What percent has your European audience grown over the past 30 days at PN?

[parsley]

btw, I have not done the usual linking. Or blogstering things. Or advertising. I didn't want to be bothered with any of them, because I don't write or make comments designed to increase visits. I didn't on agriville, either.

I write what I see.

In fact, I probably lose visitors because of comments.

My blog doesn't make me ANY money if that is what you are getting at.

Neither did fighting with the CWB.

Much to the contrary. Pars

[parsley]

I don't know, Weber. I will be honest....and I know you will think I am really really stupid, and I know I should, but I don't actually do any percentages. Ever.

I admit I am kinda interested in the Swedish visitors. I may bring up my map of visitors once a week, and glance, and I will zero in on the Swedes, but the rest I just do a glance

I have never done percentages.

The world map of hits comes from all over. I did notice South Korea on quite a bit last month. And Brazil.

But I didn't zero in the cities.

It wouldn't make any difference to what I write.

[charliep]

From your comments.

Point 1. The EU consumer who eats the flax does not think Triffid is safe.
- The average European consumer likely doesn't know what Triffid flax
is. They have concerns about genetically engineered crops as
group/scientific process. They also eat livestock that have been fed
genetically engineered crops (soybean meal). Soybean meal has been
moved through the European regulatory system and approved. If Canada
had followed this regulatory process on Triffid, flax meal would have no
problem in Europe - same as soybean meal.

2.If you are a EU politician, you do not tick off voters. You make
regulations. - You are right. It is about regulations and the breaking of
rules. Countries have that right on behalf of consumers. On the other
hand, European regulators have to be able to demonstrate their
processes are strong and science based. Otherwise it will be open
season and subject to a lot of frivolous non tariff barriers that can work
both ways.

3. 70-80% of Canadian flax is sold in the EU. - Of the flax exported to
Europe what percent is industrial/livestock feed and what percent is
human food? Perhaps others have the numbers but I would be curious
as to what percent of European flax imports are used in linoil/livestock
feed versus direct human consumption. Googled/other tools and haven't
been able to find the answer.

I eat flaxseed in my morning hot cereal. Does the risk of potentially
eating triffid flax out way the health benefits including things like Omega
3 in flaxseed in a diet?

[parsley]

These are the countries so far today:

United Kingdom
United States
Portugal
India
Australia
Sweden
Serbia
Japan
Germany
Canada...even got some Maritimers on today. I've never noticed a lot of them before, but then I don't spend a lot of time on Stats.I find it hard just to keep up commenting. pars

[Zaphod]

Just on the linoleum idea, it has to be free enterprise, otherwise it's dead on arrival. After all, we have a massive market just south of us. And with the whole green and sustainable movement just kicking into gear (bamboo flooring anyone?), linoleum would have a huge marketing advantage.

The one other alternative is to use some of this soon-to-be overcapacity in the canola crush biz and use it for flax instead. Then ship the oil to Europe because the genetic material doesn't exist in the oil.

Either way, we get a little more value-added on the prairies.

[charliep]

I should note the reason I find interesting is not necessarily flax -
things will play out, truth will be told, things will change and life will
continue perhaps in a changed world.

The precedent for other crops is important.

Barley

80 to 85 % fed to livestock. Livestock fed biotech crops not an issue
in the markets Canada sells meat into or not enough premium to
segregate and if there are premiums, way to set up strong identity
preserved programs.

15 to 20 % malt. There concerns about biotech or more specific
genetically engineered/transgenic crops. Need to understand their
concerns and work towards solutions. Biotech is not a 100 % loss
proposition by the way as Europe (yes Europe) is working on biotech
solutions to malting traits and improving agronomic characteristics to
reduce risk around selectability.

less than 1 % food and organic markets. An important and developing
market. What is the solution to meeting the needs of this market and
at the same time allow for developing new technologies for the bigger
markets (livestock feed). Can biotech solutions add value to both
these industries? Beta glutens in diets? Improved varieties at are
suited to organic agronomic needs?

[parsley]

"doesn't exist in oil"

Really.

You mean cannot be tested by man, when made into in oil.

Hmmmmm........is your body smarter than a man-made tester gadget, though?

[parsley]

"not an issue in the markets Canada sells meat into"


Hmmmm.....perhaps not yet. Maybe a little like lead filling amalgam your dentist put in your teeth, years ago, could it end up like that?

[charliep]

I always see the list but always wonder who is doing the testing for the
genetic marker or triffid flaxseed? Have the finding been verified by
different labs other than the original one? Have the identification
processes been shared with Canada?