Milling & Baking News - December 9, 2014 - 7

Editorial

India agreement offers hope for W.T.O.

n a crop year like the present 2014-15, when deal because of concerns about how its massive
global crops and supply totals are at or near food subsidy program would be affected.
all-time records, many of the hugely important
The issues involved with India in connection with
supply-demand nuances that may affect positions a revised Trade Facilitation Agreement have farare neglected. For instance, this is not a time when reaching implications. That is especially the case in
much, if any, attention is paid to the agonizing counting governmental actions that might and might
negotiations being conducted largely by govern- not influence prices. India refuses to accept an agreement officials in cities like Geneva, Switzerland, to ment that includes its domestic purchases of wheat
come up with acceptable language that could in the and other food grains, which are mainly seen as suplong run have a powerful impact on a flour miller plies for feeding large sectors of that nation's popuor grain merchant almost anywhere in the world. lation deemed without access to needed food. India
When it is realized that these negotiations often resists limits being placed on those purchases, and
seek to define how individual countries support other countries consider such a change a near fatal
their domestic grain producers and set out what is effect for the entire agreement. No one has come up
acceptable trade and what is subject to internation- with a way of resolving India's unique approach to
al action, and whether even specific transactions are assure adequate food for its massive population duracceptable or not combine to explain why constant ing a lengthy period of intense discussion extending
awareness of such activities
over the past year or longer.
Having the W.T.O. see its future
is worthwhile.
The Nov. 13 agreement althreatened by an issue such as
Alertness along these lines
lows India's programs to conmight have been considered India's domestic food relief program tinue until a permanent soluis remarkable in light of the
a bit of a stretch these days
tion is reached. Having the
organization's considerable success
because international trade
W.T.O. see its future threatthrough the last half of the 20th
negotiations conducted by
ened by an issue such as Inthe World Trade Organizadia's domestic food relief procentury and into the 21st.
tion had reached the point
gram is remarkable in light of
where even their most powerful advocates are be- the organization's considerable success through the
ginning to doubt if anything may be accomplished. last half of the 20th century and into the 21st. The
"We have not found a solution to the impasse," said agreement leading to the formation of the W.T.O.,
Robert Azevêdo, director-general of the W.T.O. He primarily agreed to in a series of post-World War II
went on to opine that this means the important Trade negotiations, has done everything from impose limFacilitation Agreement will not be completed in time its on domestic price supports affecting crop sizes to
to implement the Doha Round by the end of 2014. steps that individual nations may take to limit grain
He described this as "the most serious situation this imports and to stimulate exports of surplus supplies.
organization has ever faced," adding weight to this For the most part, it has had to deal with trade newarning by suggesting the need to turn attention "to gotiations between single countries and blocs of naour next step."
tions that often reflected the ease of non-multilateral
In the face of the impending collapse of the over multilateral negotiations. Current trade talks
W.T.O. mechanism, a prospect with implica- under way between the United States and the Eurotions extending into every corner of an indus- pean Union, with many ups and downs, underscore
try like grain-based foods, an enormous if ten- how the world's favor has changed from wanting to
tative sigh of relief was breathed Nov. 13 when enter only into agreements that extend to every naan agreement was reached between the United tion. It is easy to make the case that trade in grain
States and India allowing negotiations to proceed. and grain foods is among the great beneficiaries of
Four months earlier, India had blocked a W.T.O. these successes. MBN
MORTON SOSLAND, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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