Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to meet you here today.
In the context of globalization and international trade, everyone wants to do the best they can, because we know very well that economic growth depends on trade. Everyone aims for trade surpluses. Mr. Wild talked about fairness. We also talked about not exploiting the work force and respecting the environment. In my view, we need to talk more about fair globalization so that everyone can play by the same rules in the context of globalization.
Mass production is concentrated for the most part in Asia, specifically in China. However, I believe that the economy of the future will be based more and more on a knowledge based economy, on innovation, the modernization of production and the choice of specific niches that others cannot fulfill.
We could discuss a number of topics, but I would like to come back to agriculture because it is perhaps the sector that is the exception to the rule when it comes to the opening of markets. There is a risk involved in the agricultural sector. What country does not want to manage its agriculture autonomously? If agriculture is liberalized, certain non-competitive sectors would most likely be completely eliminated in our territory. Foreign countries would control our agriculture. However, as we all know, agriculture is essential to the population, to our people.
What do you think of the possible safeguarding of the food sovereignty of countries? In other words, should we deal with agriculture differently than we do other sectors?