Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-22-Speech-2-278"
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"en.20080422.49.2-278"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, I am very much of the opinion that we have a serious problem to deal with here. I would, however, strongly advise that we do not throw the baby out with the bath water, but instead determine the real reasons behind this.
I am rather astonished that this debate about food comes as such a surprise to many of our fellow Members. The world’s population has been continually expanding over the last 20 years. Each year there are an additional 80 million people. Anyone who is now surprised, therefore, should be asking themselves where they have been recently.
We have to look at which points we can do something about and which ones we are unlikely to be able to do anything about. I believe that one objectionable item is the issue of worldwide stock market speculation on cereal and cocoa products. Assets on the stock markets are huge and speculators are now climbing aboard instead of investing in raw materials. This naturally leads to rising prices and human suffering, which, incidentally, also affects livestock farmers in Europe. We must provide aggressive measures here.
The export rebate is dear to our hearts and everyone says this must now be abolished. This we have already done, by the way, and it expires in 2013. We should not forget, however, to say to the United States that it must likewise phase out its food aid, because only then, when we do this together, can the instrument work. If it is to work, then we must direct agricultural policy and production in the difficult countries of this world. For this we need stable political relations in these countries. Mismanagement is disappointing to many farmers, ownership rights are unclear, enormous basic taxes have to be paid to corrupt governments. We do unfortunately have race conflicts and there is no equity at all for seed and tractors. How is a farmer to produce crops – I am indeed one myself – when he has no seed? We have to turn our attention to this.
I could envisage the need for a European foreign agricultural policy. The European Union has to throw all its weight into the equation in order to pick up on these shortcomings."@en1
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