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مشاهدة النسخة كاملة : O Lebanese, if only you knew what you eat !



أم ورقة
11-16-2007, 07:10 AM
An open letter (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://www.al-akhbar.com/ar/node/36553');) from Antoine Howayyek, head of the Organization of Lebanese Farmers to the (resigned) Minister of Agriculture Talal Sahili (Amal Movement, Opposition, Shi’a), or to acting Minister Joe Sarkis (Lebanese Forces, pro-government, Maronite), or to whoever may be in charge of the country.
Howayyek is asking: why are there no standards and no controls over the quality of the imported food products: fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products? Why does the ministry not do its job and operate or outsource the quality control at the borders? A letter was sent to the minister over a year ago, but no reply was received.
Howayyek makes the following points:


The Arab Free Trade agreement was implemented on 1/1/05. The agricultural calendar was almost eliminated, and subsidized food imports from Arab countries flowed freely in Lebanon. Fuel oil in Syria costs 12.5 cents per gallon and in Lebanon it costs 65 cents per gallon. This and other subsidies result in a cost of production in Lebanon that is often 50% higher than elsewhere.

The anti-dumping laws, although allowed by WTO, are not implemented in Lebanon.

The Ministry of Agriculture does not operate any inspection or control on quality of food imports at the borders.

The consumer’s office in the Ministry of Economy and Trade is inexistent.

There is no way to know the origin of products sold in the Lebanese market. Most products are imported and yet sold as originating form Lebanon. Each year, 5000 tons of white cheese is imported and sold as Lebanese cheese. Lebanese law states that products have to be sold in their original packaging.

The borders do not have adequate locations for inspections nor do they have sufficient number of trained inspectors.

A meeting was held in February 2006 in the ministry of agriculture, and it was agreed to enforce existing regulations.

Since then nothing materialized. Produce still enters Lebanon freely, whatever its quality. We have become a good market for bad quality produce that cannot be exported other than to Lebanon, because we enforce no standards and no controls.

The questions Howayyek asks: Why does the government not take the necessary measures to protect the Lebanese citizen and to protect farming, and give it a chance to grow and develop? Who benefits from this intentional negligence?

full article here:

http://landandpeople.blogspot.com/2007/06/o-lebanese-if-only-you-knew-what-you.html (http://javascript<b></b>:ol('http://landandpeople.blogspot.com/2007/06/o-lebanese-if-only-you-knew-what-you.html');)

من هناك
11-17-2007, 12:58 AM
Great article and I hope that someone would read and do something.