Amid all the confusion, protesters and National Guard officers, some progress is taking place at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle, said Gov. Tom Vilsack during a phone conference Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Vilsack said he was pleased with the focus on biotechnology and other agricultural trade issues at the conference.

“We were ensured that agricultural issues would be at the core of the discussions,” he said. “This is the focus we want for Iowa and the entire country.”

Vilsack noted that the United States produces 22 percent of the world’s goods but has only 4 percent of the world’s population. “We have to be able to export our products,” he said.

Vilsack is pushing for a more open trading process because currently “it’s frustrating to farmers that regulations with other countries change day to day.”

Walter Fehr, director of biotechnology at Iowa State, would like to see “harmony between various countries” concerning trade barriers.

He believes the current system of some countries approving biotech products while others don’t “creates confusion for farmers.”

“Since a significant percent of our crops are biotech, the United States and Canada are the most interested in biotech products as exports,” he said.

The goal of the conference is to form a working group that would establish a framework so farmers will have greater access to the world market, Vilsack said. This framework includes future discussion between countries.

“Differences need to be worked out, and headway should be made,” he said.

Vilsack wants other countries “to understand that these [biotech] products go through extensive tests before they are put on the market,” he said.

Fehr said it’s difficult to know what the impact of the WTO sessions will be on the future of biotechnology.

One of the setbacks for the WTO sessions has been the number of protesters. Vilsack described his encounter with the protesters as a “scary experience.”

When walking to a meeting Wednesday morning, he was met by protesters outside of the Des Moines Federal Building who were blocking the street.

Without warning, the crowd closed around Vilsack and his security officers.

“That’s when chaos broke out,” Vilsack said.

Vilsack relayed the scenario of the protesters as they surrounded them and began to punch and scream.

“I was surprised by the violent nature of the protesters,” Vilsack said. “It’s an experience I won’t forget.”

Vilsack thought that the peace officers did an excellent job.

“The troopers handled a potential dangerous situation well,” said Vilsack, who was quickly moved to a safe place.

Vilsack said he expects the rest of the conference to continue on schedule and to be a more calm atmosphere with the National Guard there to tighten security.