Veneman Winds Up World Food Summit Involvement

June 13, 2002

Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman Wednesday concluded participation as head of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization World Food Summit: Five Years Later. "The World Food Summit provided a forum for nations from around the world to further examine ways to reduce hunger and malnutrition," said Veneman.

The Secretary met with more than a dozen foreign leaders, holding bilateral talks to discuss global hunger as well as trade and other agricultural issues. She also hosted a breakfast for Latin American and Caribbean agriculture ministers to promote cooperation on technical issues, biotechnology and trade. During the summit, the Secretary invited ministers from around the world to participate in an International Conference on Agricultural Science and Technology to be hosted by the U.S. early next year.

"During this summit we had the opportunity to meet with several foreign leaders to discuss world hunger, as well as other food, trade and agricultural issues of importance to the United States," said Veneman. "These meetings were very productive as we continued to advance partnerships and cooperation on trade and other food and agricultural issues."

Veneman held a first meeting with her counterpart Russian Deputy Premier and Minister of Agriculture Aleksey Gordeyev. The lingering issue of poultry trade with Russia was prominent and discussed at length. Both sides remain optimistic that their technical specialists could quickly conclude negotiation of a new veterinary certificate covering future trade.

A team of Russian veterinary specialists is currently in the United States holding discussions with USDA counterparts. That team is scheduled to depart Washington June 14 to be followed by a U.S team to Moscow, with anticipation that negotiations would be concluded then. Veneman reported a useful exchange of views with Chinese Vice Premier Wen Jiabao and Minister of Agriculture Du Qing Lin. The Chinese assured her that they intend to fully meet their World Trade Organization obligations. This was in response to Veneman's query about tariff rate quota implementation and issuance of biotechnology regulations.

Vice Premier Wen indicated that tariff rate quotas would be appropriately and punctually administered and that regulations on genetically modified products would not be a trade impediment. Wen invited Veneman to visit China later in the year, and she tentatively agreed to review WTO implementation progress first-hand and to discuss the organization of a broad program of future cooperation spanning trade, scientific research, extension and other fields.

Veneman also hosted a meeting for agriculture ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss more effective regional cooperation on trade and regulatory issues. Noting the rise in cross-border sanitary and phytosanitary issues and growing confusion over conflicting biotechnology regulations, Veneman urged the ministers to explore more cooperation in these areas. One means discussed was a greater role for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in facilitating regional cooperation and harmonization of regulations and procedures. Veneman was joined by counterparts from Brazil and Mexico in leading the discussions.