China Urged Not to Copy U.S. Big Farms on Food Safety

[nosmokes]

For the love of pete, if China is gonna pick a model to use to upgrade their food safety system, our centralised industrial method that's regulated in name only by the FDA for sure ain't the best one they could follow.
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original-cornucopia

China Urged Not to Copy U.S. Big Farms on Food Safety

By Nao Nakanishi

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Beijing should avoid the U.S. model of letting only a few companies dominate its entire food supply chain, a specialist said as Beijing steps up efforts to improve China’s food safety record.

While focusing on the rapid growth of industrial farming, Beijing might not be aware of associated risks for food safety, the environment and farmers, James Harkness, president of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, told Reuters over the weekend.

“In the U.S. the most severe food safety threat comes from factory farm production,” said Harkness. The private think-tank promotes a sustainable food system around the world.

“Although in China the government is very enthusiastic about free markets, I think the lesson of the U.S. is that food and food safety is one area where there is a market failure,” he said on his way to China from Minneapolis.

With Beijing vowing to step up safety measures following a series of scandals, including chemical-tainted pet food, the institute is to launch an initiative in China this week to help build a more sustainable and safer food system.

“China is a place where we feel … food system problems are very severe. It’s also a country where we think there may be some opportunities to improve the situation,” Harkness said, referring to Beijing’s stated goals to improve farmer welfare and the environment.
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complete article here

[magellan]

1. I hope they follow the good advice

We may need them to feed us one day.