Reflecting desire of several key WTO members, including India and the US, to return to full-scale negotiations to conclude the Doha global trade deal, talks on bridging gaps on agriculture will pick up momentum again.
Chairperson of the negotiating group on agriculture David Walker has announced a schedule for negotiations for the next few weeks, before the summer break in August and early September.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) said in a statement that "Chairperson (of agriculture negotiating group) David Walker (has) announced that the agriculture negotiations will return to a "multilateral" process (i.e. One involving and controlled by all members), reflecting members’ desire to see the talks pick up momentum".
Walker's initiative follows a lull since his predecessor Crawford Falconer circulated the latest draft text in December, although some low-key consultations and two meetings have been held since then.
India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma had said in Washington last week that New Delhi is ready for "give and take" without being "frozen in pre-negotiating position" in the interest of global trade.
Placed in the opposite camps of the developing and developed countries, India and the US had serious differences over the level of protection that should be provided to subsistent farmers from opening of global agri markets.
Talks remained low key since key trade ministers failed to achieve an agreement in July 2008 over agriculture.
The Doha multilateral negotiations launched in 2001 have remained inconclusive depriving the world an additional trade opportunity, estimated at $150 billion. This could provide a boost to the world economy reeling under slowdown.
