Agriculture and foodstuff rears its tasty head, making TTIP headlines this January 2015 month in Europe. Served hot or cold, agriculture and foodstuff have been the subject of transatlantic conflict for decades, epitomizing European and American societal and cultural challenges, interconnecting with food security as well as environmental sensitivities. And lest we forget, on both sides of the Atlantic, agriculture and food is big, really big economic stuff, with >700,000 big, medium and small businesses serving a market of >800 million wealthy, educated and discerning consumers, worth >€2 Tn.
In the EU the food and drink industry is the single largest manufacturing sector in terms of turnover (>€1 Tn) and employment, and the second leading in terms of value added and number of companies (>300,000). The EU 28 is the world’s #1 exporter (>€120 Bn) and importer (>€100 Bn) of agriculture and foodstuff, providing a useful and to be protected, trade surplus of >€20 Bn. The transatlantic relationship is, as ever, strategic.
The USA is the EU's most important and growing export market taking >€15Bn (13%) agriculture and food products. Also do know that the USA is just behind the EU, as the world’s #2 exporter ( >€115 Bn) and importer (>€85Bn), which provides a much needed trade surplus of >€30 Bn. The EU accounts for 9% of USA exports, >€10Bn and this is growing. In balance, the EU has a comfortable agrifood sector trade surplus with the USA of >€5Bn, which is unsurprisingly the subject of much debate in these TTIP negotiations.
A chicken story
So who likes chicken? In the USA, regulations oblige sanitizing poultry in lightly chlorinated water. So now, what about US chlorine-washed chicken, (a l’Americaine)? Non. Jamais!, just about sums up the EU prejudice of US agrifood. In France actors in chicken outfits, calling themselves the “chicken brigade”, decided to “chlorinate themselves” in a public pool. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have stated that the process is totally safe, but dare not say that it should be standard practice in the EU, where there are >100,000 human salmonellosis cases every year. The EFSA estimates the economic cost in the EU of human salmonellosis at >€3 Bn a year. Meanwhile, EU protectionists campaign they do now want US chemically sanitized agriculture and foodstuff. I remember well, that the best chicken I have ever tasted was at a BBQ in Memphis. Confession, this was accompanied by excellent Goldcrest beer from the Tennessee Brewing Co., and Old Smokey Moonshine, while Old Crow Medicine Show fiddled in the background.
A sausage story
So who likes sausages? EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDI, see below) sausage? Yummy. Try the German ancient Thüringer Rostbratwurst (1st documented in 1313!), the British Traditional Cumberland or New Market Sausage and of course from France the Saucisson d’Ardenne / Petit Saucisson d’Ardenne, Saucisson de Lacaune / Saucisse de Lacaune, Saucisse de Montbéliard, Saucisson de l'Ardèche and the Saucisse de Morteau / Jésus de Morteau and many, many more sausages from the other 28 EU countries. You can now be assured, as you chew away on your delicious ground meat wrapped in intestine, that they are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized know-how. My personal recommendation is Traditional Cumberland with a poached Cotswold Legbar egg for breakfast, at lunch a few slices of Saucisson de l’Ardeche with a French baguette and in the evening two Thüringer Rostbratwurst grilled over a charcoal fire and eaten with mustard from Dijon. Thanks to the excellent EU food logistics and distribution infrastructure, this is easily doable. Enjoy.
The European Commission (EC) is the bastion, guardian of EU agrifood quality, stating “Quality is an issue for every farmer and buyer…” The EU law lays down stringent requirements guaranteeing the standards of all European products. In addition, EU quality schemes identify products and foodstuff farmed and produced to exacting specifications. 2013 saw the introduction of a new single regulation on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuff, providing framework for the protection and promotion for:
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Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) gives status to agricultural products and foodstuff which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized know-how. Think of cheeses (such as Queso Manchego or Feta), sausages (see above), cured meats (such as Prosciutto di Parma), olive oils, fruits and vegetables and of course many wines..
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Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) denotes agricultural products and foodstuff linked by their quality, reputation or other characteristic to a region in which at least one stage of production, processing or preparation took place. Think beers (Münchener Bier, Českobudějovické Pivo), meat (Scotch Beef, many types of French poultry) and also bakery products and fish (notably Scottish Farmed Salmon).
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Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) emphasizes a product’s traditional character, either in the composition or means of production. Think “Jamon Serrano’.
This then provides the Database of Origin and Registration (DOOR), which includes product names for foodstuff registered - absolutely fascinating, check it out, including the chicken and sausages: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/list.html
The Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BVE) is the political top-level association of the German food and drink industry, they put it eloquently stating, “Regional specialties must remain regional specialties. We don’t want Nürnberger Rostbratwurst from Kentucky, and Tennessee whiskey from Baden Baden. The seal stands for a designated quality and a designated expertise.” Meanwhile, EU exports of sausages to the US continue to grow, leveraging the seals, supported by the “Tastes of Europe’, a campaign launched by the European Union to promote European agricultural products worldwide, notably in the USA. Their website is amazing and does an excellent job in providing insight into the traditions, diversity and quality of food products in the EU: http://tastesofeurope.eu/
So next month we can look forward to the #8 round of TTIP negotiations, this will be held, as alternation dictates, in Brussels, Belgium. Belgium, is geographically located in the heart of Europe’s breadbasket, between France and Germany, within easy reach of those concerned agricultural communities. Nevertheless, both US and EU negotiation teams agree that they "should make all efforts to conclude negotiations" by the end of 2015. Daniel Rosario, spokesman for the EU, laid out his table place, when he commented, “On the EU side, we have made clear to our American counterparts that geographical indications are one of our main priorities and we have not agreed and will not agree to reduce the protection of our geographical indications in Europe”. Watch out for lots more good food stories, antics and political hi jinx, all of which should be taken with a pinch of (Anglesey Sea Salt / Halen Môn) salt.
