With respect to world trade, agricultural subsidies are also important.

Were China to revalue its currency, its farmers would be worse off but in a world of free(r) trade, US farm subsidies translate into lower global agricultural prices, and thus lower prices for Chinese farmers.

All trade distorting farm subsidies would be slashed by 70 80 in the major subsidizing countries.

growth in corporate welfare, from bank bailouts to ethanol subsidies to a continuation of agricultural subsidies, even when those subsidies have been ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization.

In addition to sustainable debt management, urgent action needs to be taken in order to do away with agricultural subsidies, in particular cotton subsidies.

The subsidies granted by rich countries to their agricultural sectors, as well as the assistance that they give to each other, are a cruel paradox.

Sweden will continue to work for reduced agricultural subsidies and to press for speedy implementation of the development dimension of the Doha work programme.

Specifically, we need decisions that are pro development and pro trade liberalization and that end agricultural export subsidies.

The Bush administration supposedly committed to free markets around the world has actually almost doubled the level of agricultural subsidies in the US.

To tie Europe closer to Africa, British Prime Minister Tony Blair even proposed eliminating the European Union s agricultural subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy.

Subsidies hurt developing country farmers because they lead to higher output and lower global prices. The Bush administration supposedly committed to free markets around the world has actually almost doubled the level of agricultural subsidies in the US.

nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp growth in corporate welfare, from bank bailouts to ethanol subsidies to a continuation of agricultural subsidies, even when those subsidies have been ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization.

For example, America s huge agriculture subsidies contribute to its fiscal deficit, which translates into a larger trade deficit. But agricultural subsidies have consequences for China and other developing countries.

The Agreement on Agriculture's domestic support system currently allows Europe and the United States to spend 380 billion a year on agricultural subsidies.

In particular, the effect of external protectionism (i.e., EU agricultural subsidies) will depend on whether African nations are importers or exporters.

This would mean, for example, that Governments include relevant human rights concerns in implementing policies to eliminate agricultural subsidies or escalated protection against imports from less developed countries.

A significant gesture is also expected from our trade partners with regard to the removal of agricultural subsidies, particularly in favour of African cotton, which is a major source of income for millions of our farmers.

Subsidies

(c) In the light of the greater prospects for the reduction of agricultural subsidies and trade barriers abroad, the ability of African producers to respond to changed market prices becomes relevant.

When our research showed that certain policies (like agricultural subsidies) were hurting developing countries, we publicized the findings, helping to redefine the debate.

To that end, we reject any attempt to perpetuate the protectionist measures of the developed world, in particular subsidies for the production and export of agricultural products, as well as the use of technical regulations as barriers to manufactured products.

The Doha Round should reflect the theme of development and developed countries should open up their markets, abolish agricultural subsidies and genuinely implement special and differential treatment.

Subsidies that Save

Many participants called on developed countries to abolish all forms of subsidies that damage developing countries' agricultural production and markets, as well as to discontinue the dumping of cheap subsidized goods into their markets.

Occupational risks

Structural adjustment programs demanded by the IMF and the World Bank ended up transforming these countries into dumping grounds for over subsidized Western agricultural surpluses and over priced and obsolete manufactured goods.

What about industrial tariffs? Rich countries have demanded sharp cuts in import tariffs by developing countries such as India and Brazil in return for phasing out their farm subsidies.

At present, export subsidies and support payments represent less than 1 of the European agricultural budget, and the EU has undertaken to eliminate them once it receives reciprocal undertakings from major food exporting countries.

Unless serious cooperation measures are taken in such fields as technology transfer, production of generic medicines and the genuine opening up of trade through the elimination of tariff barriers and agricultural subsidies, the Millennium Goals will remain hard to attain.

Fair trade is necessary to achieve this objective, since agricultural subsidies in developed countries distort world prices and hurt farmers in developing countries, thereby contributing to high rural poverty in the latter.

The Case Against Emergency Food Aid

Ratio of subventions to annual total expenditure

Indeed, it is America s own agricultural subsidies that helped kill, at least for now, the so called Doha Development Round of trade negotiations that were supposed to give poor countries new opportunities to enhance their growth.

Access to markets of developed countries, withdrawal of agricultural subsidies as well as elimination of distorting tariffs are measures that should be addressed decisively by our industrialized development partners to enhance the ability of developing countries to benefit from trade.

We, like everyone here, have expressed the hope and determination that the Doha round to be held in December in Hong Kong will be a success, particularly with respect to the removal of trade distorting agricultural subsidies and tariff and non tariff barriers.

11.2.1 Entitlement to family benefits

Countries, like the US, with food stamp programs clearly need to increase the value of these subsidies in order to ensure that nutrition standards do not deteriorate.

ASEAN therefore called for improved market access for the exports of the developing countries and elimination of trade distorting subsidies and barriers to trade in agricultural products, and for attention to be given to the urgent need to provide the developing countries with special and differential treatment.

Benefits should be expanded and extended for a limited, discretionary period.

With higher revenues and lower payouts, the budget deficit diminishes.

Trade distorting subsidies need to be phased out.

There is now an urgent need to finance existing food aid programs to address mounting food demands, avert further social unrest, and ensure that farmers get the costlier farm inputs they need for the next planting season.

Had the Bush administration fulfilled its commitments, Americans taxpayers would have benefited from the elimination of huge agricultural subsidies a real boon in this era of yawning budget deficits. Americans would have been better off as consumers, too, with increased access to a variety of low cost goods from poor countries.

Benefit levels have been increased consistently during the period covered by this report.

(g) Perverse subsidies and their impact on deforestation and forest degradation