Agriculture

Need to change the WTO rules on Green Box subsidies (3rd of 3 articles on Green Box)

8 February, 2007
Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb07/07)
New disciplines are urgently needed to restrict the developed countries' wrong use of Green Box subsidies that are presently permitted under WTO rules, otherwise these subsidies will continue to distort agricultural production and trade, at the expense of developing countries.

Farmers’ Group Hit DA, DAR, DENR For Onerous RP-China Deals

7 February, 2007
IRDF
The Task Force Food Sovereignty (TFFS), a network of farmer organizations and peasant support NGOs and individuals which campaigns

G33 defends position on SP and SSM

6 February, 2007
By Goh Chien Yen, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb07/04)
A number of G33 ministers present at Davos had issued a statement on behalf of the grouping emphasizing that any convergence on Special Products (SPs) and Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) must not 'subvert the development goals and aspirations of the vast bulk of small, poor and vulnerable producers of developing countries.'

G-20 Criticizes U.S. Farm Bill Proposal, Calls for Doha Agriculture Deal by Summer

6 February, 2007
Daniel Pruzin, BNA
The Group of 20 developing country alliance has criticized the Bush administration's proposal for reforming U.S. farm subsidy programs, arguing that the changes would not lead to any real cuts in actual spending.

Globalization bigger threat than global warming in worsening food shortage

5 February, 2007
IBON Foundation
Globalization, not global warming, is the bigger threat to the country

US FARM BILL 2007 - Setback for developing world as US will extend support to farmers?

4 February, 2007
Ashok B Sharma, Financial Express
Consistent with the game being played by developed countries, the US has begun the process of shifting its subsidies under Amber and Blue boxes to Green box through its 2007 Farm Bill proposals.

Nath’s offer of room on special products irks farmers

28 January, 2007
Ashok B Sharma, Financial Express
The issue of special safeguard mechanism (SSM) and special products (SPs) in agriculture has assumed importance in discussions for WTO talks resumption. This was after commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath

Argentina, Brazil Join Canada’s WTO Complaint Against U.S. Corn Subsidies

22 January, 2007
BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer
South American agricultural powers Argentina and Brazil have joined Canada in a complaint against the United States over what they claim are illegal government handouts to American corn growers, trade officials said Monday.

US and EU near agriculture trade deal

20 January, 2007
By Eoin Callan and Alan Beattie, Financial Times
Trade negotiators from the US and European Union are edging a deal that could restart stalled world trade talks, according to people familiar with the discussions.

WTO plans threaten sea life: Greenpeace

18 January, 2007
By Daniel Wallis, Reuters
Pirates and licensed trawlers are pillaging the world's oceans, while proposals on the table for trade ministers meeting in Switzerland next week could prove the final blow to sea life, Greenpeace said on Friday.

Free trade means empty oceans: Greenpeace reveals evidence that trade liberalization could devastate fisheries

18 January, 2007
Greenpeace International
The world

Water Privatization & Investment Disputes: The Case of Biwater v. Tanzania

17 January, 2007
CIEL, LEAT
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Lawyers

French trade view irks Mandelson

14 January, 2007
BBC News
Peter Mandelson has accused France of being 'needlessly defensive' over farm subsidy cuts as he and other officials try to revive global trade talks.

SA may play role in Canada-US trade tiff

14 January, 2007
Mathabo le Roux, businessday.co.za
IN A move analysts say could help restart stalled world trade negotiations, Canada has taken the US to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over trade-distorting maize subsidies.

The Implications of Dumping of Agricultural Products in Asia: Asian Farmers? Untold Misery

11 January, 2007
PAN AP
The push for tariff reduction worldwide along with the pressure to eliminate production subsidies, which has been largely commanded by the World Trade Organization (WTO), has brought serious repercussions to the dominantly agrarian Asian economies.

Mr. Falconer and the Farm Negotiations

11 January, 2007
Washington Trade Daily
As 2007 starts off as a 'make-or-break' year for the languishing Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations, the chair of the current agriculture negotiations - New Zealand's Crawford Falconer - feels strongly that a deal is do-able despite many unresolved issues.

Bush’s Trade Power Probably Won’t Be Extended, Congressman Says

10 January, 2007
By Mark Drajem, Bloomberg
Congress probably won't extend President George W. Bush's authority to negotiate trade agreements aimed at lowering tariffs and farm subsidies, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee said today.

Canada launches WTO case over US subsidies

8 January, 2007
By Eoin Callan, Financial Times
Canada has launched a dispute at the World Trade Organisation over the use of "trade-distorting" agricultural subsidies by the US.

Mr. Falconer and the Farm Negotiations

7 January, 2007
Washington Trade Daily
As 2007 starts off as a make-or-break year for the languishing Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations, the chair of the current agriculture negotiations - New Zealands Crawford Falconer - feels strongly that a deal is do-able despite many unresolved issues.

Canada Seeks Talks Over Subsidies

7 January, 2007
New York Times
Canada has asked the World Trade Organization to start talks between it and the United States about American farm subsidies in general and its support of corn growers in particular.