Agriculture

Poor Countries Take Sugar to UN

13 September, 2005
Stefania Bianchi, IPS
New threats to sugar exports to the EU from poor countries are due to come up at the United Nations summit this week

Brazilian Official Defends Tariff Cuts, Hopes for Progress on Agricultural Goods

13 September, 2005
By Ed Taylor, Daily Report for Executives Banner
Brazil's Finance Minister Ant

Science without conscience is worse than no science

13 September, 2005
By Gargi Parsai, The Hindu
Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, has strong views on the issue of genetically modified organisms. In an interview, he says we need to put in place an internationally agreed regulatory framework.

Chambliss, Goodlatte urge USTR to resist EU subsidy cut demands

8 September, 2005
Inside US Trade
The chairmen of the two congressional agriculture committees yesterday (Sept. 8) said they have told U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman that the U.S. cannot make any specific commitments to reduce agricultural subsidies at this time

U.S. Farm Leader Denounces WTO in Korea; Speaks in front of thousands at rally in Seoul

8 September, 2005
NFFC Press Release
Dena Hoff, Secretary of the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC), spoke today in Seoul before tens of thousands of Korean farmers and workers at a rally to commemorate the second anniversary of Mr. Kyung-Hae Lee

Lamy calls for special WTO Ag mtg next Tuesday

5 September, 2005
National Journal's CongressDailyPM
Lamy has summoned agriculture negotiators to a meeting next Tuesday on the Doha round

G20: Not representing farmers interests

30 August, 2005
Focus on the Global South, India
Response to the G20 Ministerial Meeting in Pakistan (8-10 September 2005)

U.S. Remains Committed to FTAA, But Commerce Official Says Leave Farm Subsidy Issue to WTO

5 August, 2005
By David Haskel
The Bush administration remains committed to the stalled Free Trade Area of the Americas but the issue of U.S. farm subsidies and support policies should be dealt with at the World Trade Organization.

Developing countries voice concern over the substance and process of WTO negotiations

1 August, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Aug05/3)
At the WTO's Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) on 28 July, severaldeveloping countries expressed many concerns about the state and substance of the WTO negotiations, as well as the process which theyfound to be not transparent or participatory.(M.Khor)

?Defensive' Agriculture

31 July, 2005
Washington Trade Daily
Farm policy chiefs of the European Union and the defensive Group-of-10 coalition on Friday signaled their opposition to cap high farm tariffs as suggested in the 'middle ground' market access formula of the Group-of-20 countries

Ag program cuts should be a hot topic; Congress to decide how to slash $3 billion in USDA programs during the next five years

31 July, 2005
By Jerry Hagstrom Special to Agweek
Something that's been kept quiet is how Congress will decide by Sept.16 to cut $3 billion in Agriculture Department programs during the next five years including $173 million in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

Washington Trade Daily

28 July, 2005
Agriculture
The highlight of yesterday's one-year assessment of the Doha Development Agenda farm negotiations focused mostly on the evaluation by agriculture negotiations chairman Tim Groser

Press release: Passage of DR-CAFTA Bad News for Farmers

27 July, 2005
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
The passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in the U.S. House of Representatives late last night signals a major setback for U.S. sugar farmers and a damaging blow to Central American farmers

No progress in agriculture talks

26 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/13)
There has been no progress in the agriculture talks over the past days, but it is not a crisis

WTO agriculture talks centre on 'FIPS-plus' process

24 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/11)
Negotiations on agriculture in the World Trade Organisation have been taking place in a small group involving 14 WTO member countries (known as the extended FIPs, five interested parties)

U.N. Adviser: Africa Should Refuse Talks

18 July, 2005
By Tom Maliti, Washington Post
The United Nations' top poverty adviser said Monday that African countries should refuse to begin negotiations on a new round of world trade talks if rich nations do not cut farm subsidies and tariffs.

WTO Agriculture Talks: 'First approximation' unlikely by end July

11 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/6)
Negotiations on agriculture ended Wednesday with the Chairperson Tim Groser concluding that the chances are unlikely at this stage that he will be able to produce a 'first approximation' of the full modalities on agriculture by the end of July.

WTO Agriculture Talks: 'First approximation' unlikely by end July

11 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/6)
Negotiations on agriculture took place on 4-6 July at the WTO. They ended earlierthan expected, indicating a lack of progress.(M.Khor)

IATP Responds to the new Blue Box

8 July, 2005
IATP
A new paper by IATP which examines the new Blue Box proposal for domestic support under the July Framework and included to accommodate U.S. interests

G20 proposes disciplines on trade distorting domestic support

6 July, 2005
WTO Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/4)
The Group of 20 developing countries presented a paper on theirviews regarding how to deal with some elements of trade distortingdomestic support.(M.Khor)