Ill 



increase consumption of goods and services and the total number of jobs needed in 

 all three countries to meet the demand. 



We strongly urge the Congress of the United States to pass this Trade Agreement. 

 If it fails, you are telling the American people that the U.S. Government does not 

 care to create jobs, improve the economy and regain our position in the world as 

 a major player in world trade. 



Thank you for this opportunity to testify on this important free trade measure. 



Martha R. Roberts 



Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to ex- 

 press our deep concern, our deep disappointment, and our opposition to the North 

 American Free Trade Agreement and the side agreements that are being placed be- 

 fore you for your acceptance. 



Mr. Chairman, the united position of Commissioner of Agriculture Bob Crawford 

 and of all segments of Florida's vast agriculture is: 'This NAFTA is the wrong 

 NAFTA." 



We support free trade; we do not support this agreement. I have really struggled 

 for appropriate words to express our position to you in any different way than ex- 

 pressed so many times before. From the initial announcement of the intention to 

 negotiate an agreement for the three countries, we have vocally and in written testi- 

 mony expressed the needs of Florida agriculture to the International Trade Commis- 

 sion, the U.S. Trade Representative and to various congressional committees and 

 leaders. Florida agriculture united in their concerns and issued a position in Novem- 

 ber of 1990. I have attached for you our latest reaffirmation of our United Position, 

 dated September 22, 1992. Our concerns have still not been addressed. 



Our message has been consistent. The food we produce is too precious a national 

 resource to sacrifice. In these days of health care reform, our National Academy of 

 Sciences recommends a diet that would require doubling and tripling the usual con- 

 sumption of fruits and vegetables by most Americans to prevent chronic disease and 

 cancer that robs our citizens of their life and health. Florida produces 50 percent 

 of our Nation's fresh fruit and vegetables. This does not need to be sacrificed. 



To retain the diversity and strength of fruit, vegetable and citrus agriculture, we 

 must have fair trade. NAFTA doesn't provide it. 



In any situation, there are big winners and big losers. Chairman Don Newquist 

 of the International Trade Commission in an eloquent speech delivered to our 

 Southern Commissioners of Agriculture in San Antonio in late June stressed his 

 support of NAFTA but openly recognized that the big loser would be Florida agri- 

 culture — the strength of citrus and winter-produced fruits and vegetables in our Na- 

 tion. 



Time after time, we in Florida stressed the need for: 



— Equalization of labor, environmental, food safety, phytosanitary and sanitary re- 

 quirements 



— A price-based safeguard mechanism for perishable commodities which are ex- 

 tremely import sensitive 



— A strong enforcement mechanism to prevent substitution and transshipment of 

 commodities 



— Adequate statistics on Mexico's agricultural sector on which to base decisions and 

 safeguards 



— Fair definitions of sugars that include corn sweeteners and reflect a true world 

 usage 



— The maximum phase-out possible for our import-sensitive, winter-produced fruit, 

 vegetables and citrus until equalization of requirements can be accomplished 



— Strong enforcement of labor, environmental, food safety pesticide, and 

 phytosanitary requirements 



We were told repeatedly that these concerns were legitimate and that they would 

 be addressed. But the language of the final agreement did not do this. The adminis- 

 tration in their announcement of side agreements on labor, environment and safe- 

 guard mechanisms indicated that all had been fixed. As far as we can see from re- 

 view of the language, nothing was fixed. An attempt was made to strengthen en- 

 forcement of labor and environmental laws, but why do we have to wait for the fu- 

 ture for enforcement? Our chances are gone. Legislation through Congress cannot 

 now fix what requires a three-party agreement to change. 



Mr. Chairman, and esteemed members of the Agriculture Committee, why do our 

 questions and concerns remain unaddressed? 



