Archive - 2003

The 'evil' generated by this misdirected welfare policy affects poor-country farmers who are financing the social welfare doled out to rich-country farmers, according to Ricupero.

Some of the groups present: National Wildlife Federation, OXFAM U.S., FoE, WWF, Consumers Choice Council, Sierra Club, AFL-CIO, CIEL, Humane Society, Bread for the World, Public Citizen. The meeting lasted for about one hour and was basically a question & answer session.

An eclectic crowd of nearly 1,000 filled the Crest Theater Monday night for the only public debate in conjunction with this week's international agriculture conference at the Sacramento Convention Center.

The statement of the Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Arun Jaitley was read out by Shri S.N. Menon, Additional Secretary, as the Minister had to leave on 22 June to join the Prime Minister in Beijing.

The European Union has been the driving force behind calls for an investment agreement through the WTO, with the European Commission claiming this will bring development benefits to recipient countries.

'It is a myth that science and technology play a critical role in reducing hunger in developing countries. The claim that we must accept genetically engineered foods if we are to feed the poor in the Third World is simply 'poorwashing',' -Anuradha Mittal

The statement said that India had consistently opposed expansion of the WTO agenda to include new issues.

Khor said that the Doha declaration had stated that developing countries' needs and interests would be at the heart of its programme. But this had turned out to be empty rhetoric.

With prime access to elite government and corporate circles, its various corporate members gain handsomely from international trade agreements, from IMF or World Bank handouts, and from privatization programs.

Several NGO representatives analysed what they called the 'myths' surrounding the proposed investment agreement in the WTO, and called for Ministers to decide against negotiating an agreement.