12 CapitalPress.com
July 29, 2016
GMO
market disruptions, she said.
Apart from impeding global com-
merce in GMOs, the law is a public
relations victory for opponents of bio-
technology, Boote said. “It sets prec-
edent.”
Biotech critics, meanwhile, say the
ban could give Russian farmers a leg
up with exports to the U.S. and Eu-
rope.
“Non-GMO markets are growing
globally,” said Doug Gurian-Sherman,
director of sustainable agriculture for
CONTINUED from Page 1
However, few GMOs have re-
ceived such approval, so the law effec-
tively prevents shipments of U.S. bio-
tech crops from increasing, Boote said.
Russia’s government also has the
power under the new law to ban GMO
imports due to any perceived health or
environmental threat without scientifi c
proof of a hazard, which can lead to
the Center for Food Safety, a nonprofi t
critical of genetic engineering.
In the U.S., the recently passed fed-
eral GMO labeling bill — which bio-
tech critics opposed as being too lax
— will likely spur demand for non-
GMO foods, he said. “If anything,
it’s likely to make consumers more
suspicious.”
Russia’s agricultural productivity
isn’t likely to suffer due to the ban on
GMO breeding and cultivation, as tra-
ditional breeding and improved agron-
TPP
Trans-Pacific Partnership: A two-way street
CONTINUED from Page 1
The increase in export opportunities for U.S. agriculture would outweigh new access to the U.S. for
overseas farmers and ranchers, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. The trade
commission forecasts that if TPP takes effect U.S. agricultural exports would increase by $7.2 billion
by 2032. Agricultural imports to the U.S. from TPP partners would increase by $2.7 billion.
TPP’s agricultural support-
ers argue lower tariffs and
the elimination of non-tariff
barriers, such as protection-
ist-motivated food safety
and phytosanitary restric-
tions, will help farmers ex-
port more food, particularly
to Japan and Vietnam.
But not all farm groups
favor TPP. The National
Farmers Union has histori-
cally opposed trade agree-
ments, warning they in-
crease the trade deficit to the
detriment of the entire U.S.
economy. The group also
has historically been on the
losing end of the argument,
after prolonged and bitter
fights.
“The history on these
things is you never kill them,
you just delay them,” said
Roger Johnson, president of
the National Farmers Union
and a former North Dakota
commissioner of agriculture.
“That’s what was set up
to happen this time,” he said.
“Then along came Donald
Trump.”
TPP’s future
With both candidates com-
mitted to opposing TPP, sup-
porters say the only chance
for it to gain congressional
approval is during the lame-
duck session that will follow
the November election.
On Jan. 20, President
Barack Obama, whose admin-
istration negotiated TPP, will
leave offi ce. That would like-
ly leave an anti-TPP president
— either Clinton or Trump —
in charge. The new Congress
may also have more Demo-
crats, who would likely line
up against the treaty.
Republicans
typically
provide most of the votes for
free-trade agreements.
“It would really be diffi-
cult for a new administration
and new Congress in 2017 to
take up and pass something
as monumental as TPP,” said
Kent Bacus, associate direc-
tor of legislative affairs for
the National Cattlemen’s
Beef Association.
That leaves TPP support-
ers such as Bacus thinking
about a post-election and
pre-inauguration ratification
vote.
“We have a Democratic
administration that’s strong-
ly supportive of it and plenty
of pro-trade Democrats, but
this is an election year and
a lot of people are worried
about getting attacked by an-
ti-trade groups,” Bacus said.
“Hopefully, some will come
out after the election and
support TPP.”
Johnson of the National
Farmers Union is thinking
the same thing.
He agrees the trade deal’s
best chances are with a lame-
duck Congress. He also says
passing TPP in December
would reaffirm suspicions
about the political establish-
ment.
“To deal with an issue
of this consequence in a
lame-duck session would be
done for only reason — be-
cause nobody had the guts
to do it before the election,”
Johnson said. “It’s kind of a
Rules
CONTINUED from Page 1
“Boy, you guys just
whipped the energy out of
me,” said Snohomish County
dairy farmer Don Tillman, 82.
More than 100 people at-
tended the hearing at What-
com Community College on
Ecology’s proposal to require
up to 300 mid-sized and large
dairies to obtain a permit to
operate a concentrated animal
feeding operation.
Ecology estimates that
complying with the permit will
cost a dairy between $11,000
and $25,000 over fi ve years.
To ease the fi nancial hard-
Product
Total U.S.
export, 2014
Dairy
$7.1 billion
Beef
$7.1 billion
After TTP
Exports
Imports
$1.8
billion
$876.1
million
$574.9
million
$119.2
million
Wheat
$1.5
million
$18.2
million
Rice
$2 billion
$12.5
million
Japan and Canada would slowly lower
selected tariffs, but both markets would
remain highly managed. TPP members
are not expected to significantly increase
exports to the U.S.
U.S. would increase beef exports to
Japan. Exports to Vietnam would also
increase, but from a low base. Most of
the increase in U.S. beef imports would
come from New Zealand.
$419
million
Fruit,
$18.7 billion *
vegetables
and nuts
$8 billion
Remarks
$348.6
million
The trade commission concluded that
TPP would not significantly change
overall wheat production. The National
Association of Wheat Growers remains a
strong supporter, arguing the trade deal
will open up new markets in Asia.
Rice production is expected to be slightly
lower. U.S. rice growers would gain
access to Japanese markets, but lose
domestic sales to Vietnamese farmers
and lose a tariff advantage in Mexico.
$15.3
million
* Includes fresh and frozen
Don Jenkins and Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement partners
Potential future partners
Alaska
(U.S.)
Canada
U.S.
Japan
China
Hawaii (U.S.)
Thailand
Mexico
Cambodia
Malaysia/
Singapore
Peru
Vietnam
Brunei-Darussalam
Australia
Chile
New Zealand
Source: aflcio.org
Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group
rotten way to run a govern-
ment.”
The Republican Party has
led the way on trade deals.
In 1985, President Ron-
ald Reagan signed the first
agreement, with Israel. The
House ratified it unanimous-
ly, and the Senate approved
it by voice vote.
In 1993, Republicans pro-
vided most of the votes for
the North American Free
Trade Agreement, which
was signed by President Bill
Clinton.
Free-trade
agreements
proliferated during the
George W. Bush and Obama
administrations, always with
more support from Repub-
licans than Democrats. The
U.S. now has free-trade
agreements with 20 coun-
tries, including six of the 11
TPP partners.
The 2012 Republican
Party platform lauded trade
agreements and criticized
Obama for not pursuing
more.
Former Washington state
Republican Party Chairman
Chris Vance, who’s running
In his acceptance speech
at the Republican party’s na-
tional convention in Cleve-
land, Trump said he would
make trade a signature issue
of his presidency.
“Using
the
greatest
business people in the
world, which our country
has, I’m going to turn our
bad trade agreements into
great trade agreements,” he
said.
He promised “individ-
ual deals with individu-
al countries,” rather than
“massive” deals “no one
reads or understands.”
Trump also predicted that
Sanders supporters “will
join our movement because
we will fix his biggest single
issue: Trade deals that strip
our country of its jobs and
strip us of our wealth as a
country.”
Throughout the speech,
Sanders sent out uncom-
plimentary tweets, includ-
ing one that called Trump
a “hypocrite” for making
Trump-branded
products
in “low-wage countries
abroad.”
Nevertheless, Trump, the
Republican nominee, and
Sanders, a self-described
democratic socialist, are
simpatico on free-trade
agreements and TPP.
“It’s a turning point
for this country,” said Bill
Bullard, CEO of the cattle
and sheep producer group
R-CALF USA, which oppos-
es TPP.
“I think it refl ects the fact
we have not achieved the
prosperity free-trade agree-
ments are supposed to bestow
on citizens. It simply has not
materialized,” he said.
His organization argues
ship on the industry, the agen-
cy plans to exempt from the
rules about 100 dairies that
have fewer than 200 mature
cows.
After Tuesday’s hearing,
Ecology’s special assistant
on water policy Kelly Suse-
wind said the department
may consider redrawing the
line and exempting more
dairies.
He said dairy farmers
have raised valid concerns
that Ecology’s analysis
didn’t account for all costs.
Ecology didn’t include the
fi nancial impact of not being
able to spread manure within
100 feet of ditches and other
waterways that are unprotect-
ed by vegetation or other mea-
sures, such as an embankment.
Ecology says it plans to al-
low commercial fertilizers in
the buffers, though that will
increase production costs and
could hinder organic farming.
Also, Ecology assumed ev-
ery dairy has just one lagoon,
though many dairies have
multiple lagoons. The agency
estimated a lagoon assess-
ment would cost $7,400.
“If you want us out of here,
you may get your way be-
cause this is cost-prohibitive,”
testifi ed Lynden, Wash., dairy
farmer Sherman Polinder.
“I think the ag land will
be replaced with towns and
cities,” he said. “And you’re
going to have more problems
than you have now.”
Environmentalists testifi ed
that Ecology should require
dairies to line lagoons with
synthetic fabric to prevent
leaks and to install wells to
monitor groundwater.
Puget Soundkeeper Execu-
tive Director Chris Wilke said
Ecology has yielded too much
to farm interests, calling the
agency’s proposal a “traves-
ty.”
“We understand Ecology
is under big pressure from the
agricultural lobby,” he said.
Susewind said soil tests
should detect threats to
groundwater, without requir-
ing farmers to drill numerous
Then came Trump
Top 5 agricultural exports from the
Northwest and California, 2013
Rank
California
Washington
Idaho
Oregon
1
2
3
4
5
Fruits/nuts
Fruits/nuts
Wheat
Wheat
Vegetables
Vegetables
Dairy
Fruits/nuts
Dairy
Wheat
Vegetables
Vegetables
Cotton
Dairy
Beef/veal
Dairy
Rice
Beef/veal
Feed/fodder
Beef/veal
Value of ag exports
(Billions of dollars, 2013)
California
$20.1 billion
Washington
4.5
Idaho
2.4
Oregon
2.1
Source: USDA ERS
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
U.S. apples would receive duty-free
access to Japan’s market within 11 years.
However, TPP will not resolve Japan’s
phytosanitary restrictions. TPP eventually
will eliminate high tariffs in Japan and
Vietnam on processed potato products.
Sources: U.S. International Trade Commission; USDA FAS GATS
Current TPP partners
pects such studies to stop “because
the scientifi c community will not
be interested in conducting expen-
sive research without prospects for
commercialization,” according to an
agency report.
In 2013, Russia passed a law that
would allow GMOs to be registered
for release into the environment, but
public backlash against these crops
caused authorities to delay its im-
plementation and eventually to enact
the recent ban, the FAS report said.
omy have been shown to offer better
yield gains than biotechnology, Guri-
an-Sherman said.
If the GMO ban frees up resources
for improving drought tolerance and
fertilizer effi ciency through conven-
tional means, for example, Russia’s
productivity is unlikely to suffer, he
said.
While Russia’s new law does con-
tain an exemption for using GMOs
in research, the USDA’s Foreign
Agricultural Service nonetheless ex-
against pro-trade Democrat-
ic Sen. Patty Murray, said
he now meets Republicans
who find his support for TPP
“shocking.”
“They’re listening to na-
tional messages, which are
coming from Trump, but
others, too,” Vance said.
Vance said he finds the
attitude remarkable in a state
that practically boasts about
its dependence on trade.
“Our whole economy
is based on trade,” he said.
“We don’t eat all that wheat
they grow in the Palouse.”
Turning point
Joe
Bippert
Floyd
Gaibler
Bill
Bullard
Roger
Johnson
Free-trade voices may
re-emerge after the election,
particularly from lawmakers
who represent farm districts
and states, said Floyd Gai-
bler, director of trade policy
for the U.S. Grains Council.
“From a political stand-
point, I think agriculture has
a lot of influence,” he said.
“But there’s no doubt about
it. You have to acknowledge
it’s a pretty heavy lift. The
(Obama) administration has
to put its full political weight
behind it.”
TPP supporters also hope
Japan’s legislative branch,
the Diet, will approve the
agreement in September.
Because of the size of their
economies, the U.S. and Ja-
pan are indispensable for
TPP ratifi cation.
The Japan Times reported
recently that business leaders
have asked Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe to call the Diet
into a special session to vote
on TPP, hoping to build mo-
mentum for U.S. approval af-
ter the presidential election.
Bacus of the NCBA
agreed that passing TPP will
be diffi cult, but not impossi-
ble.
“It’s defi nitely something
we can achieve, but it’s
something we need all ag-
riculture to get behind,” he
said.
Besides the immediate
benefi ts of lower tariffs, farm
groups are presenting a big-
ger-picture argument that
TPP will also lead to more
access to non-TPP countries
in Asia, such as Indonesia
and the Philippines.
They also argue that em-
bracing TPP will give the
U.S. more leverage in negoti-
ating the Transatlantic Trade
and Investment Partnership
with the European Union.
If the U.S. rejects TPP,
they say, China, which is
not a TPP partner, will fi ll a
power vacuum and dictate
trade policies to Pacifi c Rim
nations, while the U.S. will
look like an untrustworthy
negotiator.
“I don’t know what plan B
is,” the grains council’s Gai-
bler said.
TPP would add Japan,
Vietnam, New Zealand,
Malaysia and Brunei to
the countries the U.S. has
free-trade agreements with.
Even without trade agree-
ments, the Washington State
Department of Agriculture
has participated in trade
missions to Vietnam and
Japan.
“If the Trans-Pacif-
ic Partnership doesn’t go
through, I don’t see us be-
ing able to back away from
Southeast Asia,” said Joe
Bippert, manager of WS-
DA’s international market-
ing program.
Although he staunchly
opposes TPP, Johnson, of the
National Farmers Union, said
he hopes the U.S. will pursue
trade opportunities.
“I am a trade proponent,”
he said. “I’m against stupid
trade agreements. I don’t
mean to sound like Donald
Trump here.”
wells to trace sources of pol-
lution.
Ecology says it does not
have enough evidence of ac-
tual groundwater pollution
to justify mandating synthet-
ic liners. The agency hopes
to collect more information
about pollution coming from
dairies over the next fi ve
years, One farmer Tuesday
characterized the new permit
as an expensive research proj-
ect paid for by dairies.
A second hearing is sched-
uled for Thursday in Yakima.
Ecology chose to hold hear-
ings in the two counties with
the most dairies. Although
the rules could apply to other
livestock operations, dairies
will be most affected because
they must store and apply
large amounts of manure.
Ecology maintains that
manure seeps into the ground
from storage lagoons, even
those designed to standards
set by the Natural Resourc-
es Conservation Service. To
avoid coming under the new
permit and its requirements,
a dairy would have to make
the case that manure seeping
from its lagoons isn’t reach-
ing groundwater, according to
Ecology.
The second hearing will be
6 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at
the Yakima Convention Cen-
ter, Room B, 10 North Eighth
St.
that TPP would make U.S.-
raised beef an “undifferen-
tiated cog” in an interna-
tional market managed by
multi-national meat packers.
“It’s called free trade, but
what it really is, is globaliza-
tion,” Bullard said.
The repeal by Con-
gress last year of the coun-
try-of-origin-labeling law
for beef and pork was a
“huge factor in generating
awareness,” Bullard said.
Liberal consumer groups
and some ranchers liked the
COOL law, but the World
Trade Organization ruled it
was discriminatory and au-
thorized Canada and Mexico
to impose $1 billion in retal-
iatory tariffs.
“We do not want a vote
in the lame-duck session
because we believe that’s
the only time the agreement
could pass Congress,” Bul-
lard said. “We’d like to see
both parties support their
presidential candidates’ po-
sitions on TPP.”
Mindful of a post-elec-
tion vote on TPP, Republi-
cans ended their platform’s
section on trade with this:
“Significant trade agree-
ments should not be rushed
or undertaken in a lame-
duck Congress.”
Full-court press