Press Release: Collapse of WTO Negotiations

WASHINGTON, DC – The suspension of WTO negotiations is good news for consumers, farmers and fisherfolk around the world, said consumer group Food & Water Watch. The deadlock provides an opportunity for governments to take a new approach when writing the laws that govern global trade.

The Doha Round was suspended indefinitely at the G6 meeting today when members were unwilling to make further concessions that would hurt their domestic constituencies.

“The breakdown of trade negotiations presents us with a crucial opportunity to change the direction and scope of global trade rules,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “The WTO is simply not an appropriate venue for making decisions about food and water regulations.”

The WTO deal would have stripped down food safety and environmental regulations. It would have pushed the increased consolidation of global food and water resources in the hands of multinational corporations. Family farmers and fisherfolk around the world would have been devastated, increasing global poverty.

“There is an alternative to the current model of corporate-driven trade liberalization,” Hauter continued. “Governments must support safe, community-based food production and local control of water resources. All of this has been threatened by the WTO.”

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