madam president i am grateful for this opportunity to explain why i also abstained on this report
i think most people in this chamber from whatever part of the political spectrum they come from would agree that food security is very important
the problem is that we do not agree on what food security is
to many of us food security is making sure that there is enough food for the people of the world wherever they come from
for others it is an excuse for protectionism
food security to them means only food produced in the eu for europeans
local production is a phrase that i often hear used
i hear people using the excuse of food security to keep out imports from the rest of the world thereby condemning the high-quality exports that we see from many of the poorer countries of the world and condemning many more farmers in poorer countries to poverty
to say that a common agricultural policy should be the cornerstone of food security is an amazing statement which needs to be shot down
