The Canadian decision to ban Brazilian beef out of concern of BSE, has not been well received in Brazil. The Canadian government decided to ban the import of Brazilian beef on February 3, until Brazil is fully certified as BSE-free. There are no known cases of BSE in Brazil. According to news reports the Brazilian public and businesses have reacted with indignation to the ban. Calls range from the boycott of Canadian goods, to a boycott of the Summit of the Americas, to be held in Quebec in April.
Brazil suspects that the ban is Canada's retaliation over a dispute of airline subsidies.
Canada and Brazil have been fighting over the issue for some time. The USDA, however, sees no need to pull Brazilian beef products off the shelves right now, and considered import ban sufficient until the Brazilian BSE-free certification is completed. A new study by the Center for Global Food Issues looks at the possible risks of natural pesticide use, particularly of the two mostly used pesticides, oil and sulfur.