04/12/05 Better but still worry: C.A.F.T.A. push

There has been a mixture of news surrounding the dry conditions of the Northwest, but the overall analysis is that this will still be a dry year in the region. Scott Pattee of U.S.D.A.'s Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Spokane says while storms and snow pack did increase slightly in the month of March and improved projected water flows, expected above average temperatures later this spring could swing the balance back to drier conditions. PATTEE: Still right there, just hanging on the edge of setting new records, even if we're not this year. That's new record lows for water flows. A few recognizable names came together Monday afternoon in support of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. In a major push to demonstrate to Congress broad ag support for the trade deal, fifty-five major commodity groups and ag organizations joined U.S.D.A. Secretary Mike Johanns, U.S. Chief Ag Trade Negotiator Allen Johnson, and U.S.D.A. Under Secretary J.B. Penn at the press conference yesterday. Major players at the event included the American Farm Bureau Federation, Dairy Farmers of America, National Corn Growers Association, and U.S. Apple Association. The press conference was designed, in part, to counter opposition to C.A.F.T.A. from the sugar industry, National Farmers Union, and some prominent Congressional leaders like Senate Ag Committee chair Saxby Chambliss and ranking minority member of the House Ag Committee Colin Peterson. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: Fear them or favor them, genetically modified foods are now a part of all of our diets, due to the simple reason that GMO corn and soy, used in cooking oil and high-fructose corn syrup are staples of virtually all processed foods. Now consider the fact that Americans consume more processed foods than fresh foods, (one of the reasons our nation is so fat) and it is obvious we are constantly filling up on genetically modified ingredients. I suppose that if you are a strict vegan buying solely organic , or abstain from all unprocessed meats and fish while drinking only unsweetened natural juice or milk, you possibly could avoid consuming GMO products, but chances are what you miss in the grocery department you'll make up for in the pharmacy. The line between foods and medicine is being blurred as farmers and scientist have entered an era of growing edible pharmaceuticals made from genetically modified plants. Whether you find them fabulous or fearsome, it is a given that genetically modified plants are here to stay. I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.