Moreover, when regulations purportedly designed to protect health are instead vehicles for domestic protectionism, the credibility of the entire safety apparatus of a country is put up for questioning. When good science is replaced by politics, the basis for sound health policy is undermined. Therefore, increasing government accountability by putting the emphasis on sound science for health standards should discipline disguised barriers to trade and strengthen health policy. Creating a supportive environment for the propagation of yield-enhancing biotech products is critical for meeting the needs of the coming century. Different Agriculture occupies a special place in the national economies of most countries around the world.
Farmers are responsible for feeding and clothing people.
Farming also holds a powerful claim on our national cultures, that calls for the preservation of rural lifestyles and values. Farm production is subject to the cruel vagaries of weather and the relentless decline in prices and increases in costs. Some people point to these factors as justifying a differential treatment for agriculture in the international economy, including justifying trade-distorting agricultural policies. Farm production in the next century cannot afford to be trapped in a static system in which prices are determined by government mandate, production decisions are controlled by central planners, and farmers are forced to produce only for local consumers. This myopic system cannot be sustained in any important agriculture producing society.