[asia-apec 494] IFAP congress held (fwd)

[PAN Asia Pacific]

FORWARDED MAIL -------
From: grain at baylink.mozcom.com (GRAIN Los Banos)
Date: 23 Jun 98
Originally To: (Recipient list suppressed)


FARMERS URGE DEVELOPING NATIONS TO SAFEGUARD TRADE PREFERENCES
(Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila, 18 June 1998)

Participants of the recently concluded World Farmers Congress urged all
governments to coordinate their policies at the next round of General
Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations and guide trade
liberalization rules to ensure that balance and equity are built into the
new world trade order (WTO).

The congress, attended by some 350 leaders of 85 independent national
farmers' organizations in 60 countries representing over 500 million
farmers worldwide, reviewed and drafted policy recommendations for the use
of biotechnologies, the concern of small farmers and WTO. The major
international event also featured an exhibit portion where farming
products, technologies and services from here and abroad were showcased.

In a statement, the farmers also stressed that the WTO must also take into
account the special nature of agriculture and ensure that not only those
countries endowed with natural comparative advantage make economic and
social progress.

"The trade preferences that we are pushing for should not be regarded as
privileges but a way of leveling the playing field. We want to make sure
the least developed nations will be able to compete with the industrialized
countries," explained Peasant Rep. Leonardo Q. Montemayor.

The farmers also said discussions on the WTO should be made transparent and
participatory. Trade liberalization rules, according to the farmers, should
ensure that economic growth and greater integration of the world economy
improve the condition of farm families throughout the world, to contribute
to the eradication of poverty and to promote an economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable path for agricultural development.
In order to further advance the interests of farmers worldwide, the
establishment of democratic farmers' organizations and their recognition in
the international arena as necessary vectors for development and
cooperation was also pushed. The groups are said to be in an ideal position
to take full advantage of the cooperation efforts intended for them.
Serving as networks of aids, mobilizing part of rural savings, training and
promoting the use of information technologies are among the practices that
can be facilitated by the democratic farmers' groups.

Likewise, such democratic groups all over the world can also act as one in
ensuring freedom of action on biotechnologies, in the face of agribusiness
multinationals which pour in huge amounts of investment.

"The establishment of joint ventures by seed, chemicals and agro-food
producers is indeed likely to make agricultural producers dependent on
patents and techniques which they don't have control of," said Montemayor.

The farmers, however, expressed their wish to establish partnerships with
research institutes, industrial producers and distributors to ensure
transparency on the new procedures and to reassure consumers who are
misinformed on the benefits of the new technologies.

Governments are also urged to agree on the methods used in producing
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to avoid future trade disputes
between countries. Likewise, international public research institutions are
enjoined to harness their resources to preserve biodiversity and genetic
assets, chiefly through faster development of gene banks.