The World Trade Organization’s [WTO’s] draft declaration for the ensuing 10th ministerial meeting at Nairobi [Kenya] on December 15-18, 2015, promises to “address all aspects of agriculture reform as a matter of priority” but does not mention about finding a ‘permanent solution’ to India’s concerns on food security. While, the former is a cleverly worded statement [more of a rhetoric] offering nothing concrete, the latter is definitely a setback. But, for any one tracking the chronology of events since the 9th Ministerial meeting at Bali [Indonesia] in December, 2013, this should not come as surprise. It is abundantly clear that from the day one, developed countries were never serious about finding a permanent solution. Nor, developing countries including India pressed...
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Category: Agricultural Subsidies in developed countries
Food subsidies still ‘haunt’ India at WTO
Even as the WTO [World Trade Organization] members are currently engaged in thrashing out a work program for the 10th Ministerial at Nairobi [Kenya] in December, 2015, India is concerned over the delay in reaching a ‘permanent solution’ to the problem of dealing with food procurement subsidies. Its worry stems from the fact that the developed countries [primarily USA and EU] could use it as a bargaining chip for extracting concessions in other areas such as industrial goods and services. What are food procurement subsidies? What is the genesis of problem associated with these subsidies? What permanent solution India [and other developing countries] have been looking for? What consequences will follow if the solution is delayed? What should be the...
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WTO GAME IS NOT OVER YET
By getting the US to extend the peace clause, India has scored a win on the farm subsidy issue. But to secure interests in the long term, it must insist that the minimum support price it offers to farmers be excluded from subsidy calculations India had faced all-round flak for its stance at the World Trade Organisation’s General Council meeting, in Geneva on July 31, that linked approval of the Trade Facilitation Agreement with time-bound actions to address the concerns of developing countries with regards to food grain stockpiling. In December 2013, India was accused of going back on the Bali ministerial declaration and creating obstacles in the progress of the Doha round talks. Some developed countries were even willing...
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Modi fixing the WTO (Bali) ministerial goof-up
India is facing all round flak for its decision to oppose approval of Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in meeting of WTO General Council (July 24/25, 2014) unless firm and time bound actions are taken to address concerns of developing countries in regard to support to resource poor farmers for food security. A pure technical view of the decisions taken at the 9th WTO ministerial held in Bali (December, 2013) would prima facie seem to suggest that India is at fault. In that meeting, group of developing countries or G-33 had agreed to the so called ‘Peace clause’ [a euphemism for not taking any penal action for violating commitments under Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) )] but with the caveat that this...
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