Obama's Agriculture Trade Rep = More of Same

President Obama’s nominee for the Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the office of the US Trade Representative, Islam Siddiqui is currently a vice president at CropLife America. CropLife is a major trade association for the pesticide industry, the members of which include Syngenta, Monsanto, Dow Chemical. He was previously a lobbyist for CropLife. [1]

We can expect Siddiqui to promote a corporate, establishment policy. This policy will consolidate wealth among a small number of ever larger companies that are able to navigate complex transnational trade policies. He will promote policies that undermines diversity in crops, leading to mono-culture crops that are at risk of catastrophic failure. We can predict the crash, but but the establishment stands to make huge profits in the short run, and thus don't care about the future crash.... does this ring a bell?

Obama believes in "compromise." Obama selected Tom Vilsack as head of USDA, who pretty much represents the establishment view of industrial farming. Then, as Deputy Agriculture Secretary Obama picks Kathleen Merrigan who supports organic farming.[1] So, Obama believes, if you put one foot in boiling water, and the other in ice water, on average, you're comfortable!

Sources:

DemocracyNow!,"Obama Nominates Pesticide Executive to Be Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the US Trade Representative," November 17, 2009.

Poster Credit: Drew Heles. See Results of FTAA Art Constest.