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What's next for ag after 'sad' WTO
Story Date: 12/18/2017
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Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 12/15/17
Although this week's World Trade Organization ministerial conference has been written off even by its negotiators as "sad" and a "failure," David Laborde, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, said that perhaps there had been too high of expectations in the first place.
Laborde, who had attended a trade and sustainable development symposium alongside the talks, said it was particularly hard to get 160-plus countries to agree on anything ag-related. "In Buenos Aires, we have not delivered anything on agriculture," Laborde said. "Agriculture negotiations are quite complex."
Thinking many, many years ahead: Laborde adds it will be especially difficult to engage with the U.S. on agriculture issues until after the nation passes its next farm bill, navigates the midterm elections, and positions itself for the end of a Trump presidency. "What the rest of the world would expect for the U.S. is to reform the farm bill to be more WTO compatible," said Laborde. "Trump political support has to be ready for this."
Lighthizer's sees ag's bright side: U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer issued a more hopeful statement, acknowledging that the conference's results demonstrate a need to move away from unwieldy multilateral deals. But smaller deals among countries were achieved, like the strengthening of sanitary and phytosanitary standards. "The United States is pleased to work with willing members on e-commerce, scientific standards for agricultural products," Lighthizer said.
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