With the upcoming ministerial level meeting at Hong Kong on WTO, civic society groups are actively demanding that the Government of India protect agrarian interests. Anti-WTO caravans, civic society recommendations, petitions and study groups are all recommending that current WTO programs will adversely affect farmers, artisans and agrarian communities at large.

Across the world � and especially in communities outside USA and EU � civic society groups are actively rallying to convince their governments and policy makers that WTO policies being proposed are in fact antithetical to the well being of our communities.

In various countries anti-WTO caravans are going through communities engaging people and sharing the perils of proposed WTO programs. At the same time, these groups are also highlighting how programs have wrecked communities, and their access to resources and to livelihoods across the world.

These anti-WTO caravans are demanding that negotiations on WTO be stopped and governments pull out. Between Dec 1st and 10th, caravans in various countries will culminate their programs.

In India, a group based in Varanasi , PVCHR, has drafted a petition pointing out that current WTO recommendations will be the death knell of handloom weavers, craftsmen and rural artisans. With people struggling to find livelihoods, and hunger deaths growing, members of PVCHR are demanding that current agreement recommendations be rejected outright.

Other groups are organizing local and public study groups to build awareness regarding the impact of WTO. Gyan Vigyan Samiti, UP, for example, organised a seminar on Impact of WTO on Development at a youth hostel near Bara Imambara, Lucknow, on 27th Nov.'05

Meanwhile, a number of Civic Society groups facilitated by UNCATAD, GOI and DFID, after consultation through 27th and 28th November, presented their recommendations. Utkarsh Sinha presented the synopsis of these recommendations and has asked for comments and response from the various groups and citizens.

Subsidies
1. All subsidies in agriculture provided by developed countries must be immediately removed. Further, all boxes need to be abolished. Till such subsidies are abolished, the government should not enter into any further negotiations.

Market Access
1. Market Access needs to be kept out of WTO negotiations till all subsidies in developed countries are removed immediately. In case the developed countries refuse to remove these subsidies, India must bring back quantitative restrictions to protect its agriculture.

2. In case of imports of agri-products (e.g. soybean) that has depressed the domestic prices (e.g. oilseeds such as mustard), the government should raise bound rates of tariff to the extent that protects the interest of farmers.

3. All tariff lines should be kept at the bound levels and no reductions should be made at any cost.

July Framework, 2004
1. July Framework, 2004, is faulty and against the interest of Indian farmers. It provides opportunity to the developed countries to maintain and further increase subsidies. We therefore demand the total rejection of the July Framework by the government.

Non-existent Export Market
1. Agriculture exports from India are minuscule at present. Further, a very small proportion of Indian farmers are export oriented. Further, the various tariff and non-tariff barriers make it increasingly difficult for Indian agri-products to enter developed country markets. Therefore, the export potential being projected by the proponents of global trade is quite unrealistic. Given the above, any compromise made to gain access to a non-existent market will be detrimental to the interest of farmers. Instead, the need of the hour is to promote sustainable agriculture.

Trade-off at the Cost of Agriculture
1. Any trade-off in agriculture for service sector or NAMA is totally unacceptable.

Dairy and Fisheries
1. The dairy sector provides livelihood to millions of farmers across the country and is also crucial for public health and nutrition needs. Therefore, sustained dumping/ cheap imports of dairy products need to be checked immediately by revising the tariff rates and quotas.
2. Fisheries should be included under AoA rather than NAMA.

White Paper on WTO
1. Given the numerous reports of the disastrous impact of AoA on the developing countries, the Govt. of India should demand from WTO to publish a White Paper on the impact of 10 years of AoA.
2. The government should also immediately issue a white Paper on the 10 years of experience of WTO regime in India.

Multilateral Agreement on Hunger
1. India along with other developing countries should insist on a Multilateral Agreement on Hunger that protects the food security as well as food sovereignty of developing countries.

Agriculture! Lifestyle Rather than Trade
1. Agriculture in India is a lifestyle rather than a trade issue. Further, it is a mean of livelihood for more than 65% of the population of the country, majority of whom are subsistence farmers. Given the above agriculture should be taken out of WTO.
Utkarsh Sinha may be contacted at skutkarshATyahooDOTcoDOTuk

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