Dumping 'threat to rights of world's poorest producers'

THE dumping of agricultural products in developing countries was described as a human rights issue at a conference yesterday in Cork.

Cairn Smaller of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, in Geneva, said farmers in developing countries are unable to protect themselves and subsequently lose their livelihoods due to competition from dumped imports.

"This threatens, in particular, the right to an adequate standard of living, food, health and work," she added.

Ms Smaller said WTO rules to address agricultural export dumping are inadequate and must be strengthened and simplified.

Among those who attended the conference, on the future of farming beyond the WTO's Hong Kong agreement, were three developing farmer representatives from Africa, Asia and the Americas.

They joined Irish farming representatives, NGO delegates, politicians, academics, researchers and consumers to assess the impact of the Hong Kong deal on farming at a conference organised by Comhlamh Action Network, chaired by Alan Dukes.

IFA deputy president Ruaidhri Deasy said it was myth to suggest that the Common Agricultural Policy was the problem at the WTO talks.

The EU had reformed the policy three times and has also conditionally offered to eliminate export refunds by 2013, he said.

Colin Roche of Oxfam Ireland said rich countries are largely going in the wrong direction by pushing for market access to poor countries.

Comhlamh Policy Officer Conaill O Caoimh said the Hong Kong agreement has a few aspects that will benefit poorer countries.