“…powerful lobby groups were able to delay decisions, sometimes for many years, and “water down” proposed improvements. Their job was made easier because the FAO works by consensus, so persuading as few as two or three national governments to oppose an idea was enough to block it. Then this direct quote — “I have now been 20 years in a multilateral organisation which tries to develop guidance and codes for good agricultural practice, but the real, true issues are not being addressed by the political process because of the influence of lobbyists, of the true powerful entities.” Joyce d’Silva, a director with Compassion in World Farming, confirmed this position adding that it was “horrifying” that — “the narrow interests of certain commercial sectors can have more influence than organisations which represent the values and aspirations of millions of citizens.”
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September 23, 2010