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We, leaders and members belonging to the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), gathered here at Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a “Forum on WTO and ASEAN: Asian Farmers’ Perspectives in Engaging Intergovernmental Bodiesâ€, this 11th of April 2006, on the occasion of AFA’s Strategic Planning and General Assembly conference, declare the following :
GATT WTO AoA has led to massive dumping of cheap agricultural products from developed countries and their transnational corporations. It has given our governments an excuse to reduce, even totally cut off, subsidies and tariff protection for the products of the small farmers. It has endangered, and in many cases, destroyed the livelihoods of millions of farmers and agricultural workers.
Together with other national and international advocacy groups, we dialogued with our governments, during the negotiations leading to the Sixth Ministerial Conference, ever vigilant that the current Doha Development Round of negotiations will not further devastate us.
However, we are not happy at all with the results of the Sixth Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China. We believe that the agreements reached will continue to aggravate our problems.
On the promise to end export subsidies by 2013, we think the end date is too long, especially because this should have been abolished ten years ago during the Uruguay Round.
On special products, the text is vague on the number of products to qualify as Special Products and how these will be treated. We have called for the self-designation of Special Products and Special Safeguard Mechanisms without limitations and conditionalities.
Tariff reduction is still the norm in the current negotiations despite the negative impacts of trade liberalization on developing countries. The text did not specify modalities on tariff reduction, the tariff ranges and degrees of tariff cuts. We have called for a halt to further tariff reductions and the reinstatement of quantitative restrictions on basic agricultural products such as rice.
Because of these, we strongly call on our governments to:
a. Stop commitments to new modalities in agriculture that are being offered in the on-going negotiations in Geneva;
b. Review the impact of GATT-WTO-AoA on small farmers, fishers and producers before embarking on new negotiations for further liberalization of agriculture in our countries;
c. Provide adequate support services and safety nets to small farmers and fishers, especially to those severely hurt by the current agricultural trade liberalization;
d. Take WTO out of agriculture; and,
e. Explore alternative trading systems according to the principles of food sovereignty and food security.
We call on farmers’ organizations to continue mobilizing and consolidating our common position while we pursue efforts to build alternative markets and trading systems.
As AFA, our organizations will continue to:
a. Inform our members about the developments in the DOHA round;
b. Consolidate our positions based on developments in the negotiations and mobilize our members to significantly advocate these positions;
c. Work with other advocacy groups in establishing dialogues with our government negotiators; and,
d. Study and build on-ground alternative marketing and trading system that empowers small farmers and fishers.
AFA (Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development)
11 April 2006
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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