POST CANCUN: WHO WILL TAKE THE INITIATIVE
On 14 October, WTO Members convened for the first Heads of Delegation meeting to consider the way forward after talks collapsed at the ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in September. All formal special negotiating sessions will continue to be suspended and the General Council Chair Carlos Perez del Castillo will hold consultations on four key groups of issues — agriculture, non-agricultural market access, cotton and the Singapore issues. So far, no country or group of countries has taken an active role in re-launching the negotiations. The US is unlikely to make the first step after having declared its intention to move ahead with “will do” countries on a bilateral basis. Similarly, the EC has noted that it was in “listening mode” and would not take the initiative. While the G-20 group of developing countries have urged Members to “resume the task in Geneva in a constructive spirit on all of the issues of the Doha programme” while focusing on priority issues for developing countries, the group has yet to present specific proposals or positions. Several Latin American countries have recently left the group, including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Colombia and Peru, all of which are in the process of negotiating free trade agreements with the US or are expected to do so in the future.
For further information, see BRIDGES Weekly, 15 October 2003.
PROMOTING CONSERVATION AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS: BIOPROSPECTING
Tom Kursar, associate professor of Biology and Phyllis Coley, professor of Biology have developed a new method for bioprospecting, which they hope will help conserve tropical rainforests and at the same time bring economic benefits to developing countries. The two biologists point out that if the pharmaceutical industry established laboratories in rainforest countries, these countries would have a greater incentive to conserve their rainforests. Based on five years of research the biologists conclude that usually only a very small number of plant extracts found through bioprospecting are actually developed into drugs and then it takes several years before developing countries earn royalties on the new drug. The researchers’ report points out that “by conducting all of the research in Panama, we circumvent the issue of uncertain royalties and provide immediate and lasting benefits in the form of training, employment, technology transfer and infrastructure development”. Jeff McNeeley, chief scientist at IUCN, in a commentary published with the study, welcomes the report as an “excellent first step” turning what has been described as “biopiracy” to an economically beneficial activity for developing countries, which also helps build the capacity of local people. As a result of the project, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, employer of Kursar and Coley, and Panamanian scientists have obtained provisional patents for three alkaloid chemicals extracted from local plants.
The report was published in “Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment“.
“Local Drung Discovery Industry Could Conserve Rainforests,” ENS, 10 October 2003; “Rain Forest Plan Blends Drug Research, Conservation, ” National Geographic, 7 October 2003;
NEW REPORTS ON GM CONTAMINATION
A new report, sponsored by a group of Mexican farmers and indigenous communities, has revealed that Mexico’s traditional maize crop is far more contaminated with DNA from genetically modified (GM) maize than previously thought. The study tested 2000 maize plants from 33 communities in nine Mexican states as positively contaminated with the DNA from GM maize, including with DNA from the StarLink variety, which was developed by the US based Aventis, and is only allowed for animal feed in the US due to concerns that it causes allergic reactions in humans. So far four government-sponsored studies have been undertaken in Mexico over the past two years to examine whether maize in Mexico, which is the centre of origin for maize, is contaminated from GM maize. Each study found various degrees of contamination despite the moratorium on planting of GM maize. At a press conference in Mexico City last week the sponsoring groups of the study demanded a halt to maize imports, arguing that the cheap US maize is displacing the use of native maize varieties.
In addition a new report published by the UK government on 16 October shows that conventional varieties of oilseed rape, maize and sugar beet are contaminated with GM straits in a much faster way than previously expected. The report for example shows that bees can pollinate conventional oilseed rape with pollen from GM oilseed rape over a distance of 26 km. The report was originally commissioned to assess the impact on farmland wildlife related to the planting of the herbicide-resistant crops. With regards to wildlife the report shows that in GM beet fields there were 60 percent fewer weed seeds, less butterflies and fewer bees and in GM oilseed rape there were 80 percent fewer weed seeds and also less butterflies. The report concludes that this ultimately could lead to a decline in bird population. In a press release Margaret Beckett, the UK environment minister said: “The trials demonstrate the precautionary approach which the government has taken on GM crops [...] the results will be considered as part of the comprehensive risk assessment undertaken for every GM crop”. The results of the report will now be passed on the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment that will advise the government on the implications of the report. Concurrently with the release of the report Monsanto, a biotechnology firm, declared that it would close its research plant in Trumpington, Cambridge.
“Farm-scale evaluations of GM crops - results published,” DEFRA, 16 October 2003; “Maize Rage in Mexico,” ETC Group, 10 October 2003; “Mexican Maize Meets Banned Variety,” IPS, 14 October 2004; “New Research Highlights Dangers of Modified Crops,” Friends of the Earth, 14 October, 2003.
FAIR TRADE COFFEE, A GROWING MARKET ALSO FOR KRAFT
A new study released by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the World Bank, UNCTAD and the International Coffee Organisation, points to the rapidly growing market for fair trade coffee in Europe and Japan. Based on data from socially and environmentally sustainable produced coffee sales the report concludes that the growing market share of “fair trade coffee” not only provide a sustainable solution for the environment but would also help to alleviate the current crisis in world coffee prices and provide smallholders with a competitive advantage to large companies. Concurrently the multinational firm Kraft Foods Inc. has announced a new partnership with the Rainforest Alliance aimed at buying coffee from producers who meet certain social and environmental standards. However Kraft was criticised by several “fair trade” organisations claiming that the standards applied by Kraft are too slack to really make a difference to the livelihoods of the coffee farmers. Instead “fair trade” organisations advocate for the approach taken by Procter and Gamble last month who developed a whole new line of fair-trade coffee under their gourmet brand Millstone (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 19 September 2003).
“Kraft, some activists remain at odds over coffee,” AP Business Writer, 8 October 2003; “The State Of Sustainable Coffee - Ground-breaking study takes in-depth look at trends in coffee market,” WORLD BANK RELEASE, 9 October 2003; “Sustainable Coffee Market Growing Rapidly, Report Says,” UNWire, 10 October 2003
According to a new study from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), small farmers in Africa risk being marginalised as supermarkets spread. New supermarkets are being established at a rapid rate across urban areas and rural centres in Eastern and Southern Africa, and the traditional supply and distribution systems for food, in which small farmers play an important part, are being disrupted. Millions of small farmers need to adapt to survive. In the words of Kostas Stamoulis of the FAO, “if we don’t help small farmers tap into the supply game and become players in this new market they will be left on the sidelines”. In terms of benefits, the spread of supermarkets could provide a stable market for farmers’ produce, as well as create transport and distribution jobs. In order to enjoy these benefits, however, the small farmers need assistance and resources to, for example, set up cooperatives and associations to meet the volume of supply requested by the supermarkets, and learn to negotiate with large companies. Further, credit schemes could be set into place to allow small farmers to buy technology they need in order to meet new food quality and safety standards. In South Africa, 55 percent of food is sold in supermarkets, and in Kenya 200 supermarkets and 10 hypermarkets account for the same amount of sales as 90,000 small shops. The trend is unlikely to be reversed; hence the need for small farmers to adapt.
“Rise of supermarkets across Africa threatens small farmers,” FAO Release, 8 October 2003.