Agriculture

FAO Declares War On Farmers, Not On Hunger

The FAO report ("Agricultural biotechnology: meeting the needs of the poor?") was publicly presented on the 17th of May, and in the space of a few weeks more than 650 civil society organisations and 800 individuals from more than 80 countries have drafted and signed this open letter which strongly condemns its bias against the poor, against the environment and

Talks For South-South Trade Alliance Forge Ahead

Top trade officials from around the world nations gather in Sao Paulo for a week of discussions in which Brazil hopes to forge a south-south alliance to counterbalance wealthy northern countries in trade talks.

UN Chief To Attend UNCTAD Meeting In Brazil

UN Secretary General Koffi Annan will arrive in Brazil's Sao Paulo state Saturday to attend the opening of the 11th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Annan will meet heads of state and government and other officials attending the conference before he leaves next Tuesday, the UN Information Center said Thursday.

Calif. Levee Failure Highlights Problems

The levee that broke in the heart of the state's complex irrigation system put 1 million acres of irrigated Central Valley farmland on alert for possible water cutbacks, just as peak irrigation season begins. San Joaquin County estimates the damage, and the cost of rebuilding the levee which failed last week, at more than $82 million.

UNCTAD Warns Of Failure To Reduce Poverty In LDCs

Least developed countries (LDCs) are likely to become "the major locus of extreme poverty in the world economy by 2015" if without a strong link between trade and poverty reduction, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has warned.

U.S. Group Plans Frontal Attack On NAFTA

With its subsidy case against Canadian softwood lumber all but blown out of the water by NAFTA's dispute settlement panels, the U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports and its supporters are now looking at re-invigorating their frontal attack on NAFTA itself.

CAFTA, Son Of NAFTA, Signed By U.S., Central American Countries

Son of NAFTA, the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement, aka CAFTA, has been signed by the U.S. and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It was backed by major U.S.

India To Press For Greater Market Access

India on Tuesday said it would press for greater market access and forge its alliance with G-20 developing countries to protect the interest of agriculture and livelihood concerns of farmers.

Canada Wins Wood Duel: U.S. Ordered To Recalculate Softwood Lumber Subsidies

For the second time in less than a week, Canada has apparently won another round in the longstanding softwood lumber trade dispute with the United States.