WTO talks end with breakthrough on farm subsidies

Further, it also provides a ministerial affirmation that till such time a permanent solution is found, the peace clause shall continue to be in place.

“That all unfinished pillars of DDA shall be carried forward was also ensured. We are happy. We hope to carry a message of hope” said Amina Mohammed Kenyan foreign minister and the conference’s chairperson.

“They include medical and IT products that are quite high-tech”.

For most of the developing countries including India, public stockholding for food security is a critical livelihood issue.

It would turn out that the developed nations, which were demanding for the termination of the Doha programme, were handed a significant defeat in the marathon negotiations where trade ministers from around the world agreed to carry on with the Doha Development Agenda, a position that Kenya was in favour of.

Earlier during negotiations, India was at the receiving end of criticism regarding its attempts to “block” a global trade deal.

The government’s official delegation, led by Commerce Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, which represented India at the Nairobi, has returned empty-handed, Deputy leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and former Commerce Minister, Anand Sharma, said.

Change is coming… Australian farmers set to benefit from the WTO phasing out agricultural export subsidies and restricting agricultural export credits.

The World Trade Organization (WTO)’s five-day meeting in Nairobi came to a modestly successful conclusion on Saturday, as the 162-member body managed to reach a deal on farm export subsidies but failed to make progress on other much-needed reforms.

“While opinions remain divided among the WTO membership, it is clear that the road to a new era for the WTO began in Nairobi”, Froman said.

The final declaration adopted in Nairobi said “many members” reaffirmed their “full commitment to conclude” the Doha Development Agenda goals. “We are creating a new habit of success” said WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo referring to the first major successful conclusion of a ministerial conference since 2001.

“This is a square deal for European Union agriculture, for farmers in the developing world, in particular for the least developed countries”.

It means developed countries have committed to remove export subsidies immediately, except for a handful of agriculture products, and developing countries will phase them out by 2018. The elimination of the eort subsidies is extremely important.