Food Politics: Who Controls International Food Safety Standards?
Author: Wei-en Tan, Yu-tai Ts’ai
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
The issue of adulturated food has been one of the most important sources of international trade conflict over recent years. Debates surrounding food safety involve sensitive issues such as environmental security and public health. Reflecting the reality of globalization, the issue of food safety is inseparable from international trade issues. The WTO has become the key mechanism mitigating the tension between public health and trade liberalization.
Beyond the issues of health and trade, the relationship between food safety and the exchange of food products has other political features. Although global food safety standards established by CAC and OIE have been adopted as the basis for WTO dispute resolution, the political aspects of this process has been overlooked by in academia for a long time.
This paper examines food safety regulations in EC/EU states and the American position on its beef exports. It questions whether there are binding food safety standards that can control the behavior of sovereign states, and asks who influences these standards. The paper is focused on the following issue areas: (1) international institutions and state behavior; (2) the connection between state