121 



Statement by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Bob Crawford 

 Dump NAFTA press conference 



Tallahassee, Florida 

 September 20, 1993 



Good morning. For two years, Florida's agriculture 

 industry has been sending Washington a single, clear, 

 consistent message about the North American Free Trade 

 Agreement: 



It's flawed. It will devastate Florida farmers. It 

 will cost Florida jobs. It will threaten the security and 

 safety of this nation's food supply. 



Two years later, our message is the same. Only now the 

 agreement is final. Congress will be asked to vote on it 

 soon. Florida jobs are on the line. The nation's food 

 supply is at stake. 



I am here today with agricultural leaders from around 

 the state, representing virtually every commodity group, to 

 announce the formation of a group to defeat NAFTA. 



Up until now, our goal has been to change NAFTA. We 

 believed it was possible to negotiate a trade agreement with 

 Mexico that benefited this country and preserved our 

 agriculture industry. But those changes have not been made. 



This week, Florida agriculture will begin a statewide 

 television campaign to help the public see NAFTA for what it 

 is — a threat to our food security. The spot, which we'll 

 play for you in a minute, will begin airing on t.v. stations 

 around the state later this week. 



This is a matter of life and death for Florida's 

 agriculture industry. But, more than that, it should be a 

 concern of every American. 





