U.S.-EU Trade Talks Shafted Amid Government Shutdown

Oct 07, 2013

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The partial U.S. government shutdown is heading into week two, with no end in sight. The shutdown has led to the cancelation of the second round of U.S.-EU trade talks. United States trade representatives were to arrive in Brussels Monday, with talks scheduled to last a week.

Partial shutdown was prompted last week after Congress failed to reach a deal on the budget. It is an ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans. Time is ticking as an agreement needs to be reached by Oct. 17, the date when the U.S. is due to default on its debt repayments.

While the trade talks are wide-ranging, the cancelation is especially a big blow for the U.S. agriculture sector, which is faced with prolonged market access to the EU and burdened with no sign of a renewed Farm Bill.

EU’s commission trade chair Karel de Gucht released a statement calling the situation “unfortunate,” but said the cancellation will not distract from the aim of reaching a deal between the EU and the U.S. There are no signs of when the trade talks will be rescheduled.

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.