By Terry James
WASHINGTON DC – From Fresno, California to Delaware farm broadcasters have converged on the nation’s capital for the 2016 National Association of Farm Broadcasters Washington Watch Convention.
That includes myself. A Normal, Illinois resident talking about soil temperatures in our area to the odd weather patterns that still allowed many farmers in McLean County to begin planting last week.
It may seem odd to be speaking about such topics in such a large area, but this is where the decision makers reside. A phone call just doesn’t do the trick as you try to explain the latest NAFB $200,000 research study to commissioners of the Federal Communication Commission. The study shows that farmers are still getting their agriculture news and analysis mostly from the radio.
A big topic this year deals with the decision by Vermont lawmakers to force all companies to place food labels on products to indicate if they are made with GMO’s or genetically modified organisms. A spokesman from Campbell’s Soup Company is speaking at the convention. Campbell Soup has decided the cost would be too great to label food differently headed for Vermont. That means the company is putting the GMO label on all applicable products and many other companies may follow suit.
Another hot topic is the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership or TPP. During a meeting with broadcasters at the USDA headquarters in Washington, U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator Darci Vetter talked positively about the opportunities for farmers with TPP saying it opened up new avenues for trade.
She was questioned about the problems labor has with TPP. “They think if we don’t sign the TPP or don’t enact it the global competition will go away,” said Vetter. “Well that’s not an option, we can’t drop out of the global economy. Global supply chains will not stop proliferating, trade won’t stop happening if we don’t do these agreements.”
However, Vetter admits the decision will not be enacted unless congress is on board.
Terry James can be reached at [email protected].
