EU contributes to development, trade of RI agriculture<\/p>\n
Bungaran Saragih, Minister of Agriculture, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The efforts of developing countries to propose special and
\ndifferential treatment on a limited number of strategic or
\nspecial products all the way to Cancun were driven by legitimate
\nconcerns.<\/p>\n
We developing countries must have sufficient flexibility in
\ndeciding basic policies on people's livelihood, including food
\nsecurity, for a multilateral trade agreement that is politically
\naccepted by all people.<\/p>\n
Highly restrictive agreements would raise strong political
\nopposition that not only would could cause national political and
\nsocial instability, but also would accumulate negative public
\nsentiment against the World Trade Organization itself.<\/p>\n
Perfect market assumptions never exist and the long-run
\nequilibrium keeps moving. Free trade and market mechanisms are
\nnot sensitive enough to social justice, such as assuring the
\nright to food for all and poverty alleviation.<\/p>\n
While we have plenty of food globally, there is widespread
\nfood insecurity in some countries. Free trade is not sufficient
\nto assure equitable distribution, let alone economic access to
\nsufficient food to all people for all of the times. Food security
\ncan only be assured through a managed market regime for which all
\ngovernments must have sufficient flexibility, particularly on the
\npolicies of basic staples that are produced domestically.<\/p>\n
If the right to food is a basic human right for which we all
\nbear some responsibility, then some strategic food staples should
\nbe totally exempted from further tariff reductions and the
\nexpansion of tariff rate quotas, as well as automatic access to a
\nspecial safeguard mechanism.<\/p>\n
The above strategic basic staples are not only of the utmost
\nimportance for national food security, but also for poverty
\nalleviation and overall economic development. Being historically
\nbasic staples, they are the major crops.<\/p>\n
If poverty alleviation is our common platform, we should also
\nagree to cooperate in promoting basic food staple production in
\ndeveloping countries where poverty prevalence is the highest.<\/p>\n
Most developing countries have limited capacity to provide
\ndomestic support for their farmers due to budget constraints.
\nPolicy flexibility on domestic support is the advantage developed
\ncountries have. This is another reason that it is fair for
\ndeveloping countries to have special and differential treatment
\non market access.<\/p>\n
We are very concerned by the inability of the WTO to reach an
\nagreed consensus in Cancun. We came to the meeting in Mexico with
\ngreat expectations that Cancun could pave a way for an agreed
\nconsensus on the modalities reflecting Doha's development agenda,
\nwhich accommodated food security, poverty alleviation and rural
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
I really appreciate the European Union's sensitivity and
\nwillingness to cooperate in combating hunger and poverty. Our
\ncommon objective is beyond economics, it is to assure the basic
\nright for a healthy, decent and productive livelihood.<\/p>\n
Regarding the policy targets, I would recommend using the
\nMillennium Development Goals as our common platform, which we all
\nhave agreed to. The first of the eight goals is to eradicate
\npoverty and hunger. What we need now is how to get an agreement
\nin pursuing the goals through a comprehensive action plan.<\/p>\n
In implementing this objective, in light of current global
\ntrade situations and to pursue sustainable agricultural
\ndevelopment, Indonesia implements a policy of promotion and
\nprotection. We should support the majority of small farmers
\nfacing unfair trade in the international market.<\/p>\n
The promotion of agricultural development is aimed at
\nincreasing the capacity of domestic agriculture with subsequent
\ngoals, higher efficiency and productivity. The efforts to promote
\nagricultural development is done by providing public
\ninfrastructure, easier access to financial sources, promoting and
\nproviding better know-how and technologies, and enhancing the
\ncapacity of human resources.<\/p>\n
We have seen the significant role of countries within the
\nEuropean Union in promoting development and agricultural trade
\nwith Indonesia and other developing countries.<\/p>\n
Most developing countries have long rooted historical
\nrelationships with some member countries of the European Union.
\nThe European Union is one of the largest economic entities in the
\nworld, with a large capacity to provide support in our common
\nefforts to assure freedom from hunger and freedom from living
\ndestitution for all people.<\/p>\n
Although it may not be easy, I am optimistic we shall win the
\nwar against hunger and poverty.<\/p>\n
The above was abridged from the writer's presentation at an
\ninformal meeting of European Union agricultural ministers in
\nTaormina, southern Italy, on Sept. 22.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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