Hillary Clinton Addresses the Issue of Food Security at the State Department

Speaking at the Foreign Affairs Day Plenary Session on May 1, 2009 Secretary of State Hillary called attention to food security. While the event traditionally recognizes the American citizens who lost their lives in the line of duty overseas, the Foreign Affairs Day also became a venue for the Secretary of State to outline urgent priorities in the upcoming months.

As part of her address, the Secretary of State touched upon the issue of food security. Emphasizing the vital aspect of agricultural production and productivity, Hillary Clinton stated that the “one size fits all” approach has now come and gone. “Countries may be in the same hemisphere, they may be next door to one another, but you know better than anyone that culturally and historically, demographically, and in so many other ways, they are not to be lumped together,” added the Secretary.

Does this mean that regional regulation in agriculture is acceptable? The topic bears much weight especially since Ron Kirk, the new U.S. Special Trade Representative, indicated his wish to conclude the Doha Round “as soon as possible,”1 when he recently visited the WTO headquarters.

1 As quoted in the May 18, 2009 issue of Agrapresse