Beef talks collapse amid accusations of unfair global trade proposals
“No compelling evidence was ever produced of adequate compensating gains in exports of goods and services as a result of a Doha deal. Ireland has undoubtedly been a big beneficiary of globalisation, but needed a far more balanced outcome than was in prospect on this occasion, which would give more weight to the continuing crucial importance of our farm sector,” said Dr Mansergh.
Dr Mansergh, co-owner with his brother of a beef and suckler farm near Tipperary, added: “The attempt to use this occasion to undermine the CAP, a long-time British objective, has thankfully failed. The breakdown in the talks has highlighted the importance of food security and of sustaining smaller and poorer farmers in practically every country in the world. If international technical elites want world trade agreements in the interest of global economic growth and development, they are going to have to take a lot more seriously the strategic economic as well as social importance of food production and farming to most countries, regardless of their level of income. The interests of advanced developing countries and big producers were not identical with those of poorer countries.”
