Archive - Article

While biotech crops fail farmers, and destroy biodiversity the 'global' studies of biotech lobbyists continue to cook up benefits to farmers and the environment. A recent example of such pseudo-science is a report by Graham Brookes and Peter Barfoot of PG Economies Limited, U.K entitled.

Brazil is more than willing to come forward with an improved offer on reducing tariffs for industrials beyond its 54 percent cut already announced if the European Union improves its stance on agricultural market access and the United States further reduces its own domestic farm supports, said Brasilia's chief trade negotiator in Geneva yesterday.

A week-long series of meetings on agriculture on 13-17 February at the WTO did not result in more convergence on the issues covered, although positions of various countries or groupings were further clarified.

A new proposal was tabled last week on an accelerated programme for reducing domestic support for cotton by the four West African countries that are co-sponsors of the sectoral initiative in favour of cotton.

I. WHAT IS LEFT TO DECIDE?; II. THE PROCESS: modalities, schedules and timelines; III. AGRICULTURE AND NAMA: pushing for convergence; IV. SERVICES: preparing for the onslaught; V. IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER; VI. DOCUMENTS

The third day of the meeting of the WIPO's Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to a Development Agenda (PCDA) discussed proposals of the Africa Group and Colombia.

A link to a technical paper produced by the U.S. and New Zealand on an approach to sensitive agriculture products in the WTO agriculture negotiations.

The Norwegian ministry of foreign affairs announced on Tuesday (21 February) it will bring EU rules to curb salmon trade to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

The process on a Development Agenda for the World Intellectual Property Organisation resumes with a week-long meeting starting 20 February.

The importance of the 'public domain' in knowledge and the need to protect it from the incursion of private rights was a strong theme on the second day of the WIPO meeting on the Development Agenda initiative taking place here this week.