ISLAMABAD, May 26: Civil society organisations on Saturday criticised the new WTO paper on farm negotiations, saying it protects the interests of rich countries at the cost of poor farmers in developing countries.

They demanded wider consultation in national and provincial assemblies on agriculture issues before making any commitment with the WTO.

Ambassador Crawford Falconer, chairperson of the WTO agriculture negotiations, circulated the second installment of his challenge paper on May 25, 2007, to member countries.

Dr Aftab Alam Khan, head of trade justice campaign of Actionaid International, told Dawn that the second installment on farm talks reinforces two broader concerns -- one, the trend of negotiations is still dangerously in favour of rich countries. Secondly, like the previous one, the new installment too reflects insufficient progress to reach a development-friendly deal this year.

Dr Abid Suleri, assistant executive director of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), questioned the strange silence of the ministries of commerce and agriculture on revised text drafts. He said that this draft would have been presented to negotiators in Geneva.

About the issue of current ban on wheat and pulses exports, he said that if Pakistan was not in a position to export its agro commodities, it should leave Cairns group and show solidarity with G-33 and G-20, who are actively trying to block any move from the developed country to sabotage negotiations on agriculture.

Mr Khan said that despite a long standing demand by the developing countries to abolish rich countries’ special safeguard, the paper indicates that it might stay intact.

It is important to note that rich countries can protect around 4,000 agricultural products through special safeguards regardless of only 2-4 per cent of their population engaged in agricultural sector.

Another example is Green Box--a category of farm subsidy. The paper indicates bleak chances of capping this form of subsidies in rich countries. This means the US will not cut its green box subsidies of around $ 51 billion annually. This would mean that any US offer to cut subsidy will not include the green box subsidies.

He said that it was high time that the position and rationale of Pakistan is discussed in the provincial and national assemblies before any deal is struck in the WTO.