by Stephen J. Hedges
If it is confusing to Americans to see thousands of South Koreans marching in protests over U.S. beef imports, no one is more perplexed than the U.S. beef industry.
Just a few months ago cattle producers in the U.S. thought they at long last had a green light to begin Korean exports again. Their beef has been banned in South Korea since the 2003 discovery of mad cow disease in the U.S.
South Korea is an $800 million-a-year market, so U.S. beef producers rejoiced in April when South Korean President Lee Myung Bak agreed to allow beef from all U.S. cattle - old and young -- into his country.
Scientists believe that mad cow manifests itself in cattle older than 30 months. Since his April beef decision, it has been a downhill political slide for Lee. The beef deal sparked street protests, threatened his rule and led Lee to re-arrange his cabinet.
Lee apologized Friday for the April decision, and on Saturday his government announced that it would only allow beef from U.S. cattle younger than 30 months.
The protests, which continued Saturday, have really been more about public mistrust of Lee's four-month-old government than about American beef. Still, the fear of mad cow runs deep in South Korea and in other Asian nations, including Japan, where every cow is tested.
U.S. beef producers have worked hard since 2003 to calm those fears, especially in South Korea. So has the Bush administration.
Bush's Department of Agriculture argues that testing and new precautions, such as changing cattle feed, make another mad cow case unlikely. Bush has also made regaining the South Korean beef export market a priority among his many free trade initiatives, which are designed to expand U.S. agricultural exports. (Many countries that banned U.S. beef in 2003 have since agreed to accept it).
South Korea's decision Saturday is a rare, if partial, trade victory for Bush. But it's a victory with a price. Lee's political stature is still shaky, and there's no guarantee that his latest beef compromise will be enough to calm detractors. Just a hint of another mad cow problem in the U.S. could do him in.
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Comments
The "beef bans" enacted in Korea and Europe have little or nothing to do with American beef and its safety, and everything to do with local Korean and European farmers trying to protect their turf. The farmers use the excuse of mad cow disease in order to ban the competition (american beef), and stir up nationalism to subsidize their own overpriced beef.
Posted by: Bruce | June 22, 2008 12:28 PM
There are many nations which currently hold banns on US beef - rampant hormone and antibiotic use in the US beef industry is an additional reason. It is a shame that the US FDA tows such a line with the food industry that US consummers are left so unaware of their food risks.
Posted by: Tomas Zyber | June 22, 2008 1:04 PM
American meat is poison. It's loaded with antibiotics, growth hormones in addition to the pesticides from the corn and soybean diet... which these animals don't eat in a natural setting, by the way.
FACTS: in 1970 an American steer came to slaughter weight in 18 months. Today it's six months. Ask why.
As if that's not enough (and it should be) the way these animals are bred raised creates a much blander product.
It's little wonder that even 3rd world nations coping with chronic malnutrition (unlike South Korea) are reluctant to eat the "food" produced by the giant agribusiness croporations.
Posted by: MJ | June 22, 2008 1:36 PM
FACT: doctors prescribe antibiotics to people who dont need them.antibiotics in cattle cause no harm.Doctors who prescribe antibiotics to humans who dont need them will cause harm.Korea has tainted meat from their dogs,you can catch a couple good diseases from eating dogs in korea,but they still eat them.Many people around the world eat us beef,where are these people with mad cow disease?NONE.Cow in usa was from canda which had mad cow.Korea has conspiracy against american beef that all.
Posted by: bob johnson | June 29, 2008 5:11 AM
Demonstrators of Korea know the truth of U.S beef that are no more harm, maybe...But they just want to enlarge their political boundary...so they want to continue this protest..
Now koreans thnik about this situation...what is right and what is wrong...
Posted by: poiutty000 | July 1, 2008 8:51 PM
Demonstrators of Korea know the truth of U.S beef that are no more harm, maybe...But they just want to enlarge their political boundary...so they want to continue this protest..
Now koreans thnik about this situation...what is right and what is wrong...
Posted by: poiutty000 | July 1, 2008 8:54 PM
This youtube video sums up the entire conflict and is hilarious. South koreans eat dogs and now they complain about beef.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGTTy1TKDzI
Posted by: Nonumouse | July 6, 2008 3:05 AM