Agriculture

Message From UNCTAD's Secretary-General

UNCTAD is fortunate to have the celebration of its fortieth anniversary coincide with its eleventh quadrennial conference, to be held in S_o Paulo, Brazil, this June. The two events can complement one another, providing renewed impetus to our work.

WTO decision rattles farm state lawmakers

A World Trade Organization decision that U.S. cotton subsidies have hurt producers in other countries and violate WTO rules has made lawmakers from major farm states including Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and farm lobbyists worried that it could require changes in the 2002 farm bill and in subsidies on other crops such as corn and wheat.

Boll evil? U.S. detractors waging cotton tug of war

The May 2, 2004 Sunday F1BZ EDITION For Brazil -- increasingly a thorn in the side of Washington's trade agenda -- a ruling against American cotton subsidies by the World Trade Organization marks a major victory on the battlefield of commerce.

US Admits 'Serious Concerns' Over Interim WTO Ruling On Cotton Subsidies

AFX.COM | April 28, 2004 HEADLINE: The US has "serious concerns" with an interim WTO ruling in a landmark battle with Brazil over US cotton subsidies and will lodge an appeal if it is not changed, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Farmers To Gain In Trade Blow To US

The Age (Melbourne) | By Josh Gordon | April 28, 2004 Canberra -- Australia and developing nations stand to gain lucrative access to the heavily protected world market for cotton after the United States appeared to lose a key trade battle on cotton subsidies.

House Panel to Examine WTO Challenge

Associated Press Online |By IRA DREYFUSS | April 28, 2004 Lawmakers worry a preliminary World Trade Organization decision that found U.S. cotton subsidies are unfair could have a far-reaching impact that extends beyond the cotton fields.

Prospects Bleak For Grain Exports This Fiscal

Business Line | By Harish Damodaran | April 28, 2004 New Delhi, April 27 - AFTER shipping out around 33 million tonnes (mt) of foodgrains since December 2000, large-scale exports seem a remote possibility in the current fiscal. An indication of this is the relatively low profile of the private trade in procurement of wheat during the current rabi marketing season (April-June).

WTO Move Puts Cloud Over Farm Subsidies

The International Herald Tribune | By Elizabeth Becker | April 28, 2004 The White House said Tuesday that it would work with Congress and the U.S. agriculture sector to defend America's agricultural interests after the World Trade Organization ruled that the government's multibillion-dollar subsidies to the U.S. cotton industry violate global trade rules.

Farm State Lawmakers Seek Fruits of Farm Trade

Reuters | October 15, 2002 WASHINGTON - Farm state lawmakers said on Friday they will closely shadow U.S.Reuters:

EU Farm Ministers Stall On Genetically Modified Corn

Agence France Presse| April 26, 2004 EU farm ministers were unable to agree Monday on approval for the sale of BT-11 bio-engineered corn, and sent the issue back to the European Commission, a European source said. If approved, the measure would in effect lift a five-year European Union ban on genetically modified (GM) foods.