The Implications of Dumping of Agricultural Products in Asia: Asian Farmers? Untold Misery

The push for tariff reduction worldwide along with the pressure to eliminate production subsidies, which has been largely commanded by the World Trade Organization (WTO), has brought serious repercussions to the dominantly agrarian Asian economies. Across these countries, there have been unprecedented declines in agricultural tariffs and other non-tariff barriers as well as production support as a result of their commitments to the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). Compounding the trend are the agreements being introduced either bilaterally or through the regional trade blocs, which are meant to ensure and fast-track the trade liberalisation that has been time and again derailed in the WTO negotiations.

The AoA has become one of the most contentious agreements because of its fundamental flaws of subjecting subsistence agriculture to trade liberalisation and increasing the role of the corporation. Its impact on the livelihood and survival of the small Asian farmers has been most illustrative of the basic arguments against further agricultural trade reform. But apart from these key issues, the AoA and other trade agreements in agriculture that tend to complement the AoA have also institutionalised dumping - the unbridled and unprecedented influx of cheap agricultural products in Asia and elsewhere, which has hastened the erosion of the agrarian economies and their capacity for future industrialisation.

This Special Release on "The Implications of Dumping of Agricultural Products in Asia" is researched and written by Ros-b Guzman, an economist based in the Philippines. Ms. Guzman is the executive editor of IBON Foundation Inc., an independent development institution established in 1978 that provides research, education, publications, information work and advocacy support on socioeconomic issues.

This second issue of Special Release is published by the People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS www.foodsov.org) and the Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP www.panap.net). This publication aims to provide critical analyses and raise awareness on food sovereignty issues.

To download the full text:

PAN AP Website: http://www.panap.net/uploads/media/inside_pages_online.pdf
or
PCFS Website: http://www.foodsov.org/resources/resources_000003.pdf