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US PROPOSAL CALLS FOR MAJOR CUTS TO COMMERCIAL FISHING
US PROPOSAL CALLS FOR MAJOR CUTS TO COMMERCIAL FISHING SUBSIDIES The US on 21 March launched a far-reaching proposal to modify international trade rules to prohibit most government subsidies to commercial fishing, in an effort to halt the depletion of marine life globally. The US is currently seeking input on the proposal from delegates and it…
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BIOTECH UPDATE: SOUTH AFRICA REJECTS, EU ACCEPTS, NEW GMOS; GREENPEACE STUDY FINDS EVIDENCE OF GM TOXICITY
BIOTECH UPDATE: SOUTH AFRICA REJECTS, EU ACCEPTS, NEW GMOS; GREENPEACE STUDY FINDS EVIDENCE OF GM TOXICITY South Africa rejects first biofuel GM A new strain of maize developed by Syngenta to provide improved feedstock for the production of biofuels has been rejected by the authorities in South Africa. Called "maize event 3 272", the GMO contains…
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EUROPEAN BIODIESEL PRODUCERS RAISE CONCERNS OVER TRADE DISTORTIONS
EUROPEAN BIODIESEL PRODUCERS RAISE CONCERNS OVER TRADE DISTORTIONS European biofuel producers have complained about unfair competition from imports. In a letter to European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson on 19 March, the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) noted that subsidised US imports have been flooding the European market. According to the EBB, "The US trade practice in…
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BIOFUELS DEBATE AT DESERTIFICATION MEETING
Experts attending a recent meeting on desertification identified biofuels production and agriculture trade — when practiced in a sustainable manner — as measures that can help promote sustainable land management in dryland areas. Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) met in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 12-21 March, to review the Convention’s implementation…
- In Brief
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Civil Society Protests Patenting of Non-GM Seeds and Farm Animals
A coalition of global environmental and development NGOs and farmers’ organisations recently launched an initiative against a push by the European Patent Office (EPO) to broaden the scope of patentability by allowing patents for seeds, conventional plant varieties and animal species. Launched on 26 March, the “Global Appeal Against Patents on Seeds and Farm Animals” is…
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China Tiger Breeders Urge End to Trade Ban
Tiger breeders in China are lobbying for the legalisation of domestic sales of tiger parts — a deeply controversial issue that has outraged conservationists. Chinese traditional medicine makes use of tiger parts for a number of remedies, and the country used to be the largest consumer. Chinese authorities stopped the sale of tiger parts in 1993.…
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G-8 Environment Ministers Set Stage for High-Level Meet
The environment ministers from the G-8 industrialised nations as well as the five largest emerging economies — Brazil, Mexico, China, India and South Africa — met in Potsdam, Germany from 15-17 March. While they did not reach any binding outcomes, they agreed a number of measures to stop biodiversity loss, and set the stage for…
- Events
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Events
For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar. Please bear in mind that dates and times of WTO meetings are often changed, and that the WTO does not always announce the important informal meetings of the different bodies. Coming up in the next two weeks 1-2…
- Resources
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Resources
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for review by the BRIDGES staff to Malena Sell. LIVESTOCK GENETICS COMPANIES: CONCENTRATION AND PROPRIETARY STRATEGIES OF AN EMERGING POWER IN THE GLOBAL FOOD ECONOMY. By Susanne Gura. League for Pastoral Peoples and…