GMO

Biotech Won't Help Farmers in the Third World

The Register fed into fallacies of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report that endorses biotechnology for poor farmers in developing countries ("Breakthrough on Biotech," May 19).

BSE Testing Debate Continues (Canada)

North American meat companies have been told at this week's World Meat Congress in Canada that checking all cattle for mad cow disease would push up costs without improving food safety.

U.S. Cautiously Welcomes Developing Countries' World Farm Trade Plan

The United States applauded the effort that a group of developing countries was making to ease the deadlock in world farm trade talks. A proposal by the G20 alliance at the World Trade Organization - led by India, South Africa and Brazil - puts the onus on rich countries to cut agricultural tariffs while asking relatively little of poorer countries.

WTO Web Casting On May 25

As you may know the World Trade Organization will host a public symposium from 25 to 27 May 2004 on the challenges the WTO and its Members face in ensuring a successful completion of the Doha Development Agenda. The first day of the symposium will be webcast live. Details are available

Fairness Of 'Fair Trade'

Sir, Oliver Kamm (Thunderer, May 19) is in my view correct to question the inherent "fairness" of "fair trade". "Fair trade" is a market distortion that benefits a small, chosen group of poor farmers to the disadvantage of the rest, many of whom are more efficient.

Kerry Says He'll Toughen Trade Deals

Democrat John Kerry said Sunday that President Bush has turned his back on the American worker by allowing other countries to break trade deals negotiated with the United States and that as president he would put in place a "common-sense" effort to strengthen the bargaining and enforcement of such agreements.

Wheat Board Won't Be Scrapped

International Trade Minister Jim Peterson said Thursday he won't agree to scrap the Canadian Wheat Board as part of trade liberalization negotiations. "We are prepared to subject our Canadian Wheat Board to all sorts of disciplines to ensure that it isn't trade distorting, but the institution itself is not on the table," Peterson told The Associated Press in an interview.

US Says Trade Talks Need Support Of Developping Countries To Succeed

US trade representive Robert Zoellick called Wednesday on big developing countries to play their part in getting stalled global trade liberalisation talks off the ground. "To take on the challenges of global trade, especially in the Doha negociations, we will need the support of the developing economies", Zoellick said at a press conference at the French senate.

OECD:China Near Overheating, Soft Landing Most Likely

There are some signs that China's economy is overheating, but the most likely scenario is for a "soft landing" via a gradual cooling of growth rates, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Tuesday in its latest Economic Outlook report.

Monsanto To Defer Further Research On Roundup Ready Wheat

In part because Roundup Ready wheat adds value for only a segment of spring wheat growers, resulting in "a lack of widespread wheat industry alignment," Monsanto today announced it is realigning research and development investments, deferring all further efforts to introduce Roundup Ready wheat until other wheat biotechnology traits are introduced.