ORGANIZED SYMPOSIUM PROPOSAL
August 2004 Denver, Colorado
ORGANIZERS:
C. Parr Rosson, III
Flynn J. Adcock
(979) 845-3070
prosson@tamu.edu
Texas A&M University
Dept. of Agricultural Economics
2124 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-2124
TITLE: Food Safety and Trade
ABSTRACT:The increase in the number and scope of international trade agreements has created many opportunities and challenges for producers and agribusiness. Another issue impacting trade has been technological progress such as GMOs and irradiation and disease outbreaks such as BSE. Each has created complications to trade due to the desire to ensure the safety of food supplies and the uncertainty of consumer acceptance. Market opportunities have also been created by these new technologies, coupled with the ability to claim disease-free status. Agricultural economists from throughout North America will assess the impacts of these technologies and disease outbreaks on U.S. agriculture and share their observations in this symposium. Lessons learned from recent experiences in free trade will be highlighted, examined, and discussed, and the implications for applied research and extension education program development will be discussed.
MODERATOR: Flynn Adcock, Texas A&M University
PARTICIPANTS: Parr Rosson and Flynn Adcock, Texas A&M University “Food Irradiation and U.S. Agriculture Trade in Meats and Produce”
James Oehmke and Monika Tothova, Michigan State University “Food Safety Standards and Trade Agreements”
Won Koo, North Dakota State University “The Impact of Recent BSE Outbreaks on U.S. Beef and Livestock Trade”
Eluned Jones, Texas A&M University “The Impacts of European Supermarket Chains on Consumer Food Safety Views”
Respondent: Anita Regmi, Economic Research Service Response
FORMAT: Sanders will introduce the topic and moderate the symposium. Rosson and Adcock will discuss the potential impacts on meat and produce trade created by irradiation application.
Oehmke and Tothova will present recent research on the challenges to the world trading system created by food safety standards. Koo will provide an overview of the current status of the recent BSE outbreaks in the United States and Canada and their impacts on trade. Jones will discuss the the impacts of European grocery chains on consumer acceptance of GMOs and irradiated food. Regmi will briefly respond to the presentations, identify the major implications for the development of applied research and extension programs, and set the stage for continued discussion.