This poll will be up until Wednesday, November 16th, 2005. At that time I will cast my votes based on the outcome of this poll.

Remember, voting is only open to residents of the region of Canada, and you may still only vote once no matter how many nations you have in the region, or how many off-site forum accounts you have.

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Description: The General Assembly of the United Nations,

RECOGNIZING the role of proper nutrition in maintaining the physical and psychological well-being of all persons;

FURTHER RECOGNIZING the importance of proper nutrition in the growth and development of children;

NOTING the need of all peoples to have adequate supplies of good quality, healthy food;

DEFINES "food" as the appropriate and healthy substance(s) that a person uses or can use as a primary source of energy.

HEREBY

1. ENCOURAGES the sale and/or transfer of food products between UN nations;

2. ENCOURAGES all nations to institute health and nutritional education programs within their school systems;

3. REQUIRES the gradual reduction, in stages, of all protectionist mechanisms in the trade of food including, but not limited to, Tariffs, Duties, Farm Subsidies and Subventions. Exception will be made for protectionist mechanisms which are based upon legitimate Religious, Cultural, Medical, or Ecological concerns;

4. ESTABLISHES the following schedule for reducing protectionist mechanisms:

Years 1 thru 6: 36% cut over six years (6% per year)
Years 7 thru 11: 50% cut over five years (10% per year)
Year 12: 14% cut (total elimination of protectionist mechanisms)

5. EMPHASIZES that UN member nations reserve the right to employ retaliatory tariffs towards non-UN nations to prevent price dumping;

6. ESTABLISHES the United Nations Free Trade Commission (UNFTC) to arbitrate trade disputes and pass rulings on exceptions claimed under Article 3;

7. ENCOURAGES STRONGLY the removal of all sales taxes levied on food;

8. CALLS UPON UN member nations to, except in cases where private entities already conduct such research, advance research into new and improved methods of food production and distribution as a priority within their research budgets insofar as is necessary and possible given their circumstance(s).

"3. REQUIRES the gradual reduction, in stages, of all protectionist mechanisms in the trade of food including, but not limited to, Tariffs, Duties, Farm Subsidies and Subventions. Exception will be made for protectionist mechanisms which are based upon legitimate Religious, Cultural, Medical, or Ecological concerns;"

This is going to retard food production and decrease surplusn no? Farming isn't exactly a high-margin industry these days.

Subsidies must be a mistake. I'm trying to think about why they would be included.

Why would farmers produce produce which could not be sold for the greatest profit unless they could receive a subsidy to defray part of the cost of less profitable crops?

Related is a bill to reduce farm subsidies.

I have agriculture in my blood, so I might be talking a bit biased for either side.


(1) The sale of food between nations does not only bring in food otherwise unavailable, but it may also bring in already available food. This not only impacts the farming community, but creates a huge implosion in which markets develop price falls on certain produces due to over-availability. This results in a loss in profit even though a farm may have sold its entire crop. It also provokes theories about disease, such as Bird Flu.

(2) I'm fine with this, but governments must stick to their promises *looks at Blair*

(3) Political Mumble Jumble for more taxes...

(4) -

(5) -

(6) -

(7) Less taxes mean in my eyes a more level playing field for all farmers and those who purchase the end product.

(8) Pesticides implied by this also brings in concerns over global warming (made by Chlorofluorocarbons released in sprays as well as animals which are beneficial to the soil that are killed by excess chemical work) which is destroying agriculture in African nations. This may increase the food available in those nations rich enough to possess said chemical treatments, but the side effects on the third world nations are greater and should be of more concern to us than our own over-production and profit-seeking ways.

I've spent the day going through past resolutions, as I distinctly remember something along the exact same lines as this being passed through when I was involved in the game a year and a half ago.

Yet I can't seem to find it. I suppose it might have been repealed. But I woulda sworn this has been passed already.

The resolution Global Food Distribution Act was passed 9,207 votes to 5,172.

I cast my votes FOR this resolution, based on this poll.

Thanks for voting.