Stop dumping farm exports on poor countries

THE collapse of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks in Cancun was a huge disappointment for all those committed to reform the unfair trade rules that systematically disadvantage the world’s poorest countries and its poorest people.

The EU was by no means solely responsible for the failure in Cancun: the intransigence of other rich countries and the weak negotiating process were also critical factors.

But the EU has to accept that its failure to commit to ending agricultural export dumping and its underestimation of developing country resistance to the launch of negotiations on the Singapore issues were major factors contributing to the stalemate.