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WTO Symposium Geneva, May 2004. Trade, agriculture, and world poverty: Will the Doha Agenda deliver pro-development trade rules?. Agricultural trade and rural poverty. World poverty eradication is about rural development and agricultural policies.
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WTO Symposium Geneva, May 2004 Trade, agriculture, and world poverty: Will the Doha Agenda deliver pro-development trade rules?
Agricultural trade and rural poverty • World poverty eradication is about rural development and agricultural policies. • The effective fight against rural poverty. • Trade, but not only trade: Rural development iniciatives and agricultural policies. Oxfam’s development programmes and Make Trade Fair campaign.
The organized madness of Northern agricultural policies • Northern agricultural policies are not “multifunctional” • US and EU hidden dumping: The cases of cotton and cereals. • The impact of Northern policies on developing countries.
Bitter sugar • The paradox of the European sugar sector: • The EU is one of the world’s less competitive sugar producers... • ... and the second world’s main exporter of sugar. Comparative advantage?: No; high tariffs and overprice. • Despite of production quotas, systematic oversupply takes place. In other words: • dumping on world markets through direct and indirect support • market access restrictions • price volatility • Big companies and landowners win, developing countries and European small farmers lose.
From the Uruguay Round to the ‘Development Round’ • There’s no possible Development Round in the absence of: • G-146 agreement: in particular committement from developed countries and G-20. • genuine pro-development agricultural policies, through the following proposals:
From the Uruguay Round to the ‘Development Round’: Oxfam proposals for July’s framework • Put an end to Export unfair Competition: • A prohibition on export subsidies • A prohibition on export credit subsidies • A prohibition on commercial use of food aid
From the Uruguay Round to the ‘Development Round’: Oxfam proposals for July’s framework • Make Domestic Support legitimate: a redefinition of WTO’s support indicators • as a principle, subsidised products should not be exported • allow supply management systems in support to small farmers and to address overproduction
From the Uruguay Round to the ‘Development Round’: Oxfam proposals for July’s framework • Market Access: ensure developing countries’ right to agricultural development • Free access for least developed countries and low incomcountries. • Eliminate tariff escalation • Formula which really differentiates between developed and developing countries (not current blended formula) • Basic food security crops in developing countries exempt from reductions in tariffs • Special safeguard mechanism available for all developing countries