The article proposes that Canada is "uniquely poised to shape the secretive negotiations" at the gathering. My love of Canada is first and foremost because of this under-utilized potential to influence and broker positive global change. What's being negotiated? Well, the gist of it is this:
The European Union increasingly favours providing cash or vouchers for food aid instead of raw product, said Ed Clay, a senior researcher with the Overseas Development Institute, who has been advising the EU presidency on the treaty. Canada has also shown signs of supporting such a shift. This country's food aid has been "un-tied" since 2008, meaning that the federal government does not insist on making donations in the form of surplus cereals purchased from Canadian farmers.But the largest contributor to the FAC - the United States - approaches aid quite differently. Almost all of the food aid the United States donates is in the form of actual food grown in the country by U.S. farmers and shipped out. This model and the amount pledged is codified in the national Farm Bill, a piece of trade legislation under the purview of the Department of Agriculture. That department's foremost concern is the health of U.S. farmers, not international humanitarian assistance. Fulfilling treaty requirements with a currency other than food would amount to significantly higher costs for the United States.Insiders believe Canada's chairmanship could help bridge the gulf between the United States and the EU.
This is an important story, so please send along any additional information as it unfolds.
