Madam, - President Bush says that through prohibiting genetically modified foods "Europe is causing hunger in Africa'". He fails to notice the damage being done to Africa by subsidies on the export of US farm produce.
The average US cotton farmer receives subsidies 25 times the total income of his Kenyan competitor. As a result cotton production in Kenya is worth just 5 per cent of what it was 20 years ago.
Haitian rice farmers are without an outlet as US subsidised rice floods their market at the rate of 215,000 tonnes per year, causing Haitian production to drop by almost half.
Such dumping by the US causes hunger in Kenya, Haiti and many other countries. But so does EU dumping of farm produce. The recent CAP reform package will not significantly improve the market opportunities for the world's poorest farmers.
If the "Green Revolution" of the 1980s could not solve hunger in the world, it is unlikely that genetically modified crops will. The benefit of such farming methods flows back to the patent holders through payment for seeds and the necessary fertilisers.
To solve hunger, rich countries must stop preventing poor farmers finding a market for the things that they are competitive at - particularly agriculture and textiles. To show its bona fides, the EU could begin by unilaterally adopting President Chirac's proposal of a moratorium on agricultural subsidies to Sub-Saharan Africa. - Yours, etc.,
CONALL É CAOIMH, Policy Officer, Comhlámh, Upper Camden Street, Dublin 2.