India stresses need for WTO to discuss farm subsidies of rich countries

NAIROBI: India has stressed on the need for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries to take up the issue of huge trade distorting farm subsidies of the rich countries and its consequent adverse impact on millions of resource poor and subsistence farmers in developing countries. India wants the member countries to discuss the issue on a priority basis at the Nairobi meeting beginning on December 15.

The ministers from 162 member countries of the WTO are meeting at the Kenyan capital from December 15-18 for negotiations. The meeting is yet another concerted effort to strike a deal to liberalise global trade.

In the developed world, for decades the farm lobbies have been shaping the discourse and determining the destiny of the poor farmers. India, which is being represented by Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, stressed on this meeting during a meeting of the G33 countries. The G33 is a coalition of countries demanding flexibility for developing countries in limiting market opening of the agriculture sector.

Stating that the reduction in the huge subsidies given to the farm sector in the rich countries was a clear mandate of the Doha Round negotiations with a ‘development’ agenda, India said it is now not even a matter of discussion, let alone having serious negotiations.

Stressing on the importance of the G-33 countries, India said they represent the collective voice of over two-thirds of humanity and an overwhelming majority of poor and subsistence farmers.

In another meeting comprising only the G-20 countries, India pushed for the need to remove the disparity in agricultural trade rules, which are biased in favour of developed countries. India emphasised that concluding the Doha Round negotiations successfully would go a long way in correcting these distortions in agricultural trade. “The G-20 meetings have played a pivotal role in driving the agenda of the agriculture negotiations at the WTO, India said and thanked Brazil for hosting the meeting on Monday.”

India has emphasised at the G33 meeting that there could be no better tribute to the Ministerial Conference (the WTO’s highest decision-making body), taking place in Africa for the first time, than to come up with measures to protect the poor farmers.

Author Profile

India Writes Network: India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) is an emerging think tank and a media-publishing company focused on international affairs & the India Story. Centre for Global India Insights is the research arm of India Writes Network. To subscribe to India and the World, write to editor@indiawrites.org. A venture of TGII Media Private Limited, a leading media, publishing and consultancy company, IWN has carved a niche for balanced and exhaustive reporting and analysis of international affairs. Eminent personalities, politicians, diplomats, authors, strategy gurus and news-makers have contributed to India Writes Network, as also “India and the World,” a magazine focused on global affairs.