To the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Member States

Do not Dilute G 33 Proposal: Address Imbalance in Global Agricultural Subsidies Rules, Support Public Stockholding for Guaranteeing Livelihoods and Food Consumption of the Poor at Bali WTO Ministerial.

We, as members of the global civil society, urge the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevedo, and member states, to take the issue of food security in developing countries as a matter of serious and immediate concern, and not to render the G-33 proposal on public food stockholding a travesty by asking developing countries to agree to the current text on the peace clause.

Across the developing world, millions of people, most of them poor, still do not have basic and minimum access to food. According to the FAO, 868 million were undernourished in 2011-12, of them 304 million in South Asia and 234 million in Sub Saharan Africa. Even more disturbing is the fact that nearly 3.1 million children under the age of 5 die each year because of poor nutrition (Hunger Statistics, World Food Program 2013).

At the same time, in a volatile global economy, millions of small farmers are engaged in precariously poised food production that provides them essential livelihoods and caters to their own as well as their country’s food requirements. Eradication of global poverty and hunger would be impossible without addressing these concerns. It is clear that the global economy, with all its growth, has failed to take care of both poor farmers and food consumers across the vast majority of developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs). In sum, they still need support from their own governments, supported by the global community.

However, the rules of multilateral trading that have been institutionalized through the WTO make it impossible for developing country governments to provide this support. When GATT (WTO’s predecessor) was negotiated, all, except 17, developing countries which were not giving any subsidy at that time were barred from increasing subsidies, and were to adhere to a limit of 10% of additional production that could be given out as subsidies.

In contrast, developed countries that gave massive subsidies to their agriculture sector were asked to reduce these trade distorting subsidies (OTDS) by only about 20%. Moreover they were allowed to shift most of their subsidies to a “green box” which was marked as non-trade distorting. It is by now well established that both types of subsidies are very much trade distorting and have undercut prices, encouraged dumping of subsidized agricultural products in developing country markets and has threatened global market access for developing country farmers.

This twisted legacy of the WTO has resulted in a gross imbalance in global agricultural production, distribution and trading system. This has prevented developing country governments from providing essential support to their numerous small producers, or to poor consumers through direct measures, price supported public food stockholding or other processes, even if financially they are now able to do so. For example, India’s recently passed Food Security Act, which aims to provide minimum food entitlements to the poor 67% of the population, will need an allotment of US$20 billion and will conflict directly with WTO’s set limits. The WTO mandated obligations will constrain India from fully implementing its Food Security Act.

This peculiar juxtaposition in WTO’s agricultural trade rules has led the G-33 group of developing countries to table a proposal on food security at the WTO that argues that public food programmes for supporting livelihoods of small farmers and food consumption of the poor should be considered part of the “green box” and allowed without limits by changing the existing Agreement on Agriculture (AoA).

Under the WTO rules, a subsidy through price support shall be calculated using the gap between the fixed external reference price and the applied administered price. The reference price was fixed at average f.o.b. (free on board- price from farm gate till its delivery on the ship) price notified by each country for 1986 – 1988. Since the “fixed external reference price” is much lower than the minimum support price levels (MSP), the subsidy tends to get much inflated in comparison to reality. In addition, the entire production “eligible” to receive the subsidy and not the “actual” production is to be the basis for subsidy calculation, thus inflating subsidies further. Obviously for large developing countries the total subsidy calculated under broad price support programmes tends to significantly overstate the actual financial support provided to farmers.

On the other hand, the total domestic support of the USA grew from US$61 billion to US$130 billion between 1995 and 2010.The EU’s domestic support, which went down from 90 billion euro in 1995 to 75 billion euro in 2002, bloated again to 90 billion in 2006 and 79 billion in 2009. A broader measure of farm protection, known as total support estimate, shows the OECD countries’ agriculture subsidies soared from US$350 billion in 1996 to US$406 billion in 2011.

Unfortunately the G-33 proposal has found stiff opposition from the developed countries, notably the USA and the EU. This is despite the fact that in 2010, the poor in India received on average of only 58 kg per person, 3.1 times less than the 182 kg per person of the 80 million beneficiaries of cereals food aid in the USA. This is also 4.2 times less than the 241 kg for each of the 46.6 million beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamp programme in the USA.

A matter of urgent concern is that all elements of the G 33 proposal have now been rejected for consideration in Bali and a peace clause (or due restraint clause) on the G-33 proposal is currently the only element being discussed at the WTO. A peace clause means that the use of such subsidies is still illegal but WTO Members will not go to dispute settlement for this period..

The Director General, Robeto Azevedo, has suggested a “take it or leave it” text on the due restraint clause for Bali. However this is to be effective only for 4 years and does not guarantee that a permanent solution will eventually materialise. Further, the conditions sought to be imposed are severe. The Anti-Circumvention/ Safeguard clause asks the member states to “ensure that stocks procured under such programs do not distort trade”. This broad condition may make it virtually impossible for any developing county to use this provision. This will dilute the already weak peace clause rendering it totally ineffective and would sound the death knell for millions of poor in India and in other developing countries.

The time to act, therefore, is now. Before it is too late, before millions perish because the global leaders could not rise above their own myopic agendas. Before hundreds of thousands of children are not able to make it to school or play or laugh because they are too weak from hunger. Before millions go to sleep not knowing what they will give to their family for food the next day.

In the complex labyrinth of international norm setting, it is the poor and marginalized who are being denied their livelihoods and minimum access to food. Global rules are challenging public provision of essential goods and services across the developing world. It is important for the WTO to address these concerns in its forthcoming and crucial ninth ministerial conference at Bali,

We, as members of civil society, therefore urge the global community, including the WTO Director General and the Member States, to address this issue and make changes in the AoA that allow developing countries to use such subsidies for public programmes on food to support poor farmers and consumers. We demand that you do not make a mockery of the hunger of millions round the world by accepting a peace clause that is unusable and damaging for long term solutions. We urge you to ensure that the international trade rules work for the people across the globe and not against them.

November 20, 2013

Signed by

International and Regional Organizations and Networks

1
ACP Civil Society Forum

2
Action Aid International

3
Africa Trade Network (ATN)

4
Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND)

5
APRODEV

6
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)

7
Dignity International

8
Eastern and Southern Africa Small-scale Farmer’s Forum (ESAFF)

9
IBON International

10
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

11
LDC Watch

12
Oxfam

13
Pax Romana ICMICA Asia

14
People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS)

15
Peoples’ Health Movement

16
Pesticide Action Network - Asia and the Pacific (PAN-AP)

17
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Africa

18
Plataforma Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, Democracia y Desarrollo (PIDHHD)

19
Public Services International (PSI)

20
Social Watch

21
Southern and Eastern African Trade, Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI)

22
Third World Network (TWN)

23
Third World Network (TWN) Africa

National Organizations and Individuals

24
Fórum das Organizações Não Governamentais Angolanas (FONGA)
Angola

25
Gilbert Agricultural and Rural Development Centre (GARDC)
Antigua and Barbuda

26
Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (AFTINET)
Australia

27
Kannan Srinivasan Adjunct Research Fellow School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University
Australia

28
The International Grail Network for Justice in Trade Agreements
Australia

29
Information Group on Latin America (IGLA)
Austria

30
Civil Society Bahamas
Bahamas

31
Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD)
Bangladesh

32
Barbados Association of Non Governmental Organisations (BANGO)
Barbados

33
11.11.11
Belgium

34
Africa Europa Faith and Justice Network
Belgium

35
CNCD-11.11.11
Belgium

36
SOS Faim – Belgique
Belgium

37
Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology
Belize

38
JINUKUN
Benin

39
René M. SEGBENOU
Benin

40
Groupe de Recherche et d’Action pour la Promotion de l’Agriculture et du Développement (GRAPAD)
Benin Republic

41
Grupo de Trabajo de Cambio Climático y Justicia (GTCCJ)
Bolivia

42
Botswana Council of Non Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO)
Botswana

43
Federação Nacional dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras na Agricultura Familiar (FETRAF)
Brazil

44
Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT)
Brazil

45
Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores na Agricultura (CONTAG)
Brazil

46
Instituto EQUIT
Brazil

47
Rede Brasileira Pela Integração dos Povos (REBRIP)
Brazil

48
Network of Civil Society Organizations for Sustainable Food Security (ROSSAD)
Burkina Faso

49
Cadre de concertation des OSC pour le suivi du CSLP (CdC/CSLP)
Burkina Faso

50
Civil Society Organization Network for Development (RESOCIDE)
Burkina Faso

51
Action Développement et Intégration Régionale (ADIR)
Burundi

52
Africa Development Interchange Network (ADIN)
Cameroon

53
Collectif des ONG pour la Sécurité Alimentaire et le développement Rural en abrégé (COSADER)
Cameroon

54
Conseil des ONG Agrees du Cameroun (CONGAC )
Cameroon

55
Cambodian Human Right Actions Committee
Cambodia

56
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Canada

57
Kari Polanyi Levitt, Canada
Canada

58
Association Commerciale, Agricole, Industriel et du Service (ACAISA)
Cape Verde

59
Conseil Inter ONG En Centrafrique (CIONGCA)
Central African Rep.

60
Centre d’Information et de Liaison des ONG (CILONG)
Chad

61
Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT)
Colombia

62
Fabio Arias Giraldo, General Secretary, CUT
Colombia

63
Instituto Latinoamericano Para Una Sociedad Y Un Derecho Alternativos, ILSA,
Colombia

64
Conseil de Concertation des ONGs de Développement (CCOD)
Congo

65
Cook Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (CIANGO)
Cook Islands

66
Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País
Cuba

67
Conseil National des ONG de Développement (CNONGD)
D.R. Congo

68
Kalingo Carib Council
Dominica

69
Alianza ONG
Dominican Republic

70
Fernando Rosero, Centro Andino para la Formación de Líderes Sociales
Ecuador

71
Red De Accion Ciudadana Frente Al Libre Comercio E Inversion, Sinti Techan
El Salvador

72
Forum des ONG pour le Développement Durable (FONGDD)
Eq. Guinea

73
Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA)
Ethiopia

74
Ethiopian Consumer Society (ECS)
Ethiopia

75
Institute for Sustainable Development
Ethiopia

76
Movement for Ecological Learning and Community Action (MELCA)
Ethiopia

77
Sue Edwards
Ethiopia

78
Cotonou Task Force
Ethiopia

79
Poverty Action Network in Ethiopia (PANE)
Ethiopia

80
Europe Écologie Greens
France

81
Francoise Alamartine, d’Europe Ecologie les Verts
France

82
Solidarité
France

83
Concertation Nationale Des Organisations paysannes et des Producteurs (CNOP)
Gabon

84
Worldview
Gambia

85
Agricultural Workers Union of TUC
Ghana

86
Inter Agency Group of Development Organizations (IAGDO)
Grenada

87
Confederación De Unidad Sindical De Guatemala (CUSG)
GUATEMALA

88
Federation de Femmes Enterpreneurs et Affairs de la CEDEAO (FEFA)
Guinea

89
Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisa (INEI)
Guinea-Bissau

90
Women Across Differences (WAD)
Guyana

91
Plateforme haïtienne de Plaidoyer pour un Développement Alternatif (PAPDA)
Haïti

92
Programme de Plaidoyer Pour une Intégration Alternative (PPIA)
Haïti

93
Federacion de Sindicatos de Trabajadores de la Agroindustria (FESTAGRO)
Honduras

94
Fundación Cosecha Sostenible de Honduras (FUCOHSO)
Honduras

95
All India Drug Action Network
India

96
Alliance for Democratization of Agricultural Research in South Asia [ADARSA]
India

97
Alliance for Food Sovereignty in South Asia [AFSSA]
India

98
Amitava Guha, Confederation of Indian Trade Unions
India

99
Annakili, Unorganised Workers Union, Vellore
India

100
Aruna Rodriguez, Sunray Harvesters
India

101
Asha Kisan Swaraj
India

102
Bhagirath Lal Das, Former Ambassador to the WTO
India

103
Bharatiya Krishak Samaj
India

104
Centre for Organisation Research & Education
India

105
Chandra, Women’s Education and Economic Development Trust
India

106
Commission on Justice, Peace and Creation, National Council of Churches in India
India

107
Community Media Trust
India

108
Confederation of Indian Traders (CAIT)
India

109
Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD)
India

110
Deccan Development Society
India

111
Delhi Network of Positive People
India

112
Dr. K. Prabhakar, Professor, SRM University, SRM Nagar, Chennai,
India

113
Dr. Ms Mahtab S. Bamji, INSA Honorary Scientist, Dangoria Charitable Trust,Hyderabad
India

114
Focus on the Global South-India
India

115
Forum for Biotechnology & Food Security
India

116
Green Souls
India

117
Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS)
India

118
India FDI Watch
India

119
India Resource Center
India

120
Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)
India

121
Initiative for Health & Equity in Society
India

122
Inter Cultural Resources
India

123
IT for Change
India

124
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan
India

125
Jayati Ghosh, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
India

126
Kavita Srivastava, on behalf of the Steering Committee of the Right to Food Campaign
India

127
K. Pandu Dora, Convenor, Adivasi Aikya Vedika
India

128
LOCOST
India

129
Madhusudhan, Yakshi
India

130
Madhyam
India

131
Madras Christian Council of Social Service
India

132
Malini Chakravarty, Senior Economist, Economic Research Foundation
India

133
Millet Network of India [MINI]
India

134
Mira Shiva, Health and Women’s Rights Activist
India

135
National Hawker Federation
India

136
New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI)
India

137
Omkar Bhaskar, India
India

138
Oxfam India
India

139
Ponnuthai, Kalanjium Women farmers Association
India

140
Prof. J. George [Phd. Economics, Delhi School of Economics]
India

141
Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC)
India

142
Reji K. Joseph, Assistant Professor, Central University of Gujarat
India

143
Research Foundation for Science Technology & Ecology
India

144
Rythu Swarajya Vedika
India

145
Sheelu, Women’s Collective
India

146
Smitha Francis, Economist
India

147
Southern Action on Genetic Engineering [SAGE)
India

148
Sundari, Tamilnadu Resource Team
India

149
Udhayam Capuchin Franciscan Peace Centre
India

150
Uma Shankari , Rashtriya Raithu Seva Samithi,
India

151
Utsa Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University
India

152
Vikas Rawal, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
India

153
Diverse Women for Diversity,
India

154
Sagari Ramdas, Anthra-Hyderabad
India

155
Cinta Alam Pertanian - Adonara East Flores
Indonesia

156
Farmer’s Initiative for Ecological Livelihoods and Democracy (FIELD Indonesia)
Indonesia

157
Institut Perempuan (Women’Institute)
Indonesia

158
KePPAK Perempuan (Kelompok Peduli Penghapusan Tindak Kekerasan terhadap Perempuan dan Anak)
Indonesia

159
Komite Pemantau Legislatif (KOPEL)
Indonesia

160
Sarekat Hijau
Indonesia

161
VIVAT Indonesia
Indonesia

162
Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Sulawesi Selatan
Indonesia

163
Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL)
Italy

164
Fairwatch
Italy

165
Sergio Cesaratto, Full professor of Economics, University of Siena
Italy

166
Alliance Pour la Reconstruction et le Developpement Post-Conflit (ARDPC)
Ivory Coast

167
Campaign for Social and Economic Justice (CSEJ)
Jamaica

168
Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC)
Japan

169
Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC)
Kenya

170
Wote Youth Development Project
Kenya

171
National Council of NGOs
Kenya

172
Kiribati Association of Non-Governmental Organisation (KANGO)
Kiribati

173
Policy Analysis and Research Institute of Lesotho (PARIL)
Lesotho

174
Lesotho Council of NGOs (LCN)
Lesotho

175
West African Women Association (WAWA)
Liberia

176
Plate-Forme Nationale des Organisations de la Societe Civile de Madagascar
Madagascar

177
Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN)
Malawi

178
Malawi Economic Justice Network
Malawi

179
Consumer Association of Penang
Malaysia

180
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth)
Malaysia

181
Foundation pour le Developpment au Sahel (FDS)
Mali

182
Marshall Islands Council of NGOs (MICNGOS)
Marshall Islands

183
Association for Developement and Promotion of Human Rights (ADPDH)
Mauritania

184
Federation of Democratic Labour Unions
Mauritius

185
Mauritius Trade Union Congress
Mauritius

186
Migration and Sustainable Development Alliance
Mauritius

187
Mauritius Council of Social Service (MACOSS)
Mauritius

188
Alicia puyana Mutis, FLACSO-MÉXICO
Mexico

189
Ignacio Perrotini, Professor, UNAM
Mexico

190
Mujeres Para El Sialogo A.C. (MpD)
Mexico

191
Red Nacional Género Y Economía (REDGE)
Mexico

192
SIEMBRA A.C., Mexico
Mexico

193
FSM Alliance of NGOs (FANGO)
Micronesia

194
National Forum for Mozambiquan NGOs and CBOs (TEIA)
Mozambique

195
Episcopal Commission for Education, Catholic Bishop Conference of Myanmar
Myanmar

196
Myanmar Partnership for Development for Human Resources in Rural Areas (MyanDHRRA)
Myanmar

197
Namibia Non-Governmental Organisations Forum Trust
Namibia

198
Nauru Island Association of NGOs (NIANGO)
Nauru

199
Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN)
Nepal

200
Both ENDS
Netherlands

201
Jacques van Nederpelt, Wijk bij Duurstede
Netherlands

202
Working Group Food justice
Netherlands

203
Devinder Sharma, Chair, Forum for Biotechnology & Food Security
New Delhi

204
Action, Research and Education Network of Aotearoa (ARENA-NZ)
New Zealand

205
Edward Miller, chairperson of the Aotearoa Human Rights Lawyers Association
New Zealand

206
Reseau des Organisations de Developpement et Associations de la Defense des Droits de L’homme Et de La Democratie (Rodaddhd)
Niger

207
National du Réseau des Ong de Développement et Associations de Défense des Droits de l’Homme et de la Démocratie (RODADDHD)
Niger

208
African Heritage Institution (AfriHeritage), Enugu
Nigeria

209
African Heritage Institution
Nigeria

210
Alliance pour la Reconstruction et le Developpement Post-Conflit (ARDPC)
Nigeria

211
Chiwuike Newington Uba
Nigeria

212
Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)
Nigeria

213
Labour, Health and human Rights Development Centre
Nigeria

214
The Knowledge and Policy Management Initiative Ltd
Nigeria

215
National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS)
Nigeria

216
Niue Island (Umbrella) Association of NGOs (NIUANGO)
Niue

217
Social Alternatives for Community Empowerment
Pakistsan

218
Melanesian NGO Centre for Leadership (MNCL)
Papua New Guinea

219
BASE Investigaciones Sociales
Paraguay

220
Federación Nacional De Trabajadores Del Agua Potable Y Alcantarillado Del Perú (FENTAP)
Peru

221
Red Peruana de Comercio Justo y Consumo Ético
Peru

222
Campaign for a Life of Dignity for All (KAMP)
Philippines

223
Knights for Peace, Int’l
Philippines

224
Marie Sol Villalon-National In Mission for Victims of Human Trafficking, Overseas Filipino Workers and their Families, The United Methodist Church in the Philippines
Philippines

225
The Centre for Development Programs in the Cordilera (CDPC)
Philippines

226
WomanHealth
Philippines

227
Rwanda Civil Society Platform
Rwanda

228
Samoa Umbrella for Non Governmental Organisation (SUNGO)
Samoa

229
Forum das Ong de São Tomé e Principe (FONG-STP)
Sao Tomé and Principe

230
Caritas Sénégal
Senegal

231
Plate-forme des acteurs non étatiques pour le suivi de l’Accord de Cotonou au Sénégal
Senegal

232
Liaison Unit of the non-governmental organisations of Seychelles -(LUNGOS)
Seychelles
233

Civil Society Movement of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone

234
Development Service Exchange (DSE)
Solomon Islands

235
Somali Organisation for Community Development Activities (SOCDA)
Somalia

236
African Centre for Biosafety
South Africa

237
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance
South Africa

238
Southern and East African Trade Institute (SEATINI)
South Africa

239
Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute in Johannesburg
South Africa

240
South African NGO Council (SANGOCO)
South Africa

241
Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice
South Korea

242
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization-CEPO, South Sudan-Juba
South Sudan

243
South Sudan Human Rigfhts Defender Network
South Sudan

244
Iyanola (St.Lucia) Council for the Advancement of Rastafari Incorperated (ICAR)
St. Lucia

245
Windward Islands Farmers’ Association (WINFA)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines

246
Stichting Projekta
Suriname

247
Council for NGOs (CANGO)
Swaziland

248
Church of Sweden
Sweden

249
Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation
Switzerland

250
Alliance Sud
Switzerland

251
Chad Acting For The Environment (TCHAPE)
Switzerland

252
International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF)
Switzerland

253
International-Lawyers.Org
Switzerland

254
Berne Declaration
Switzerland

255
Tanzania Association of NGOs
Tanzania

256
Tourism Investigation & Monitoring Team
Thailand

257
The Asia Foundation
Timor-Leste

258
Groupe d’Action et de Reflexion sur l’Environnement et le Développement (GARED)
Togo

259
Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT)
Tonga

260
Grassroots Organisations of Trinidad & Tobago (GOTT)
Trinidad & Tobago

261
Korkut Boratav, Professor (retired), Ankara University
Turkey

262
Mustafa Ozer, Professor, Anadolu University
Turkey

263
Tuvalu Association of NGOs (TANGO)
Tuvalu

264
Consumer Education Trust
Uganda

265
Farms Not Factories
UK

266
Harry Shutt, economist, UK
UK

267
The Landworkers Alliance
UK

268
William Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com
UK

269
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
USA

270
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO)
USA

271
Arthur MacEwan, Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Massachusetts Boston
USA

272
Center for Women’s Global Leadership
USA

273
CODEPINK
USA

274
Community Alliance for Global Justice
USA

275
Global Exchange
USA

276
Haider A. Khan, Global Deep Democracy Network and Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, USA
USA

277
International Presentation Association of the Sisters of the Presentation
USA

278
New Rules for Global Finance
USA

279
Peace and Justice Resource Center
USA

280
Public Citizen, USA
USA

281
The Oakland Institute, CA
USA

282
Vanuatu Association of NGOs (VANGO)
Vanuatu

283
Center for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)
Vietnam

284
Aljawf Women Organization For Development
Yemen

285
Zambia Council for Social Development
Zambia

286
National Association of NGOs (NANGO)
Zimbabwe

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