FISH FARMING MAY STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH GLOBAL DEMAND, UN REPORT FINDS

New York, Oct 6 2008 7:10PM
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000930/index.html">FAO) today expressed concerns that the aquaculture industry may struggle to meet future world demand for fish as a rising global population consumes more and more fish and small farmers in poor countries face difficulties in exporting their produce.

The aquaculture sector – otherwise known as fish farming – will need to produce 80.5 million tons per year just to maintain current per capita fish consumption, according to a press release issued by FAO today.

In 2006, the sector produced 51.7 million tons, or nearly half of the estimated 100 million fish consumed worldwide.

The need for more fish from aquaculture has been heightened, the agency noted, because so-called traditional capture fisheries from the world’s seas, lakes and rivers have reached a plateau in terms of production.

“The question remains whether the aquaculture sector can grow fast enough to sustain projected demand for fish while ensuring consumer protection, maintain environmental integrity, and achieving social responsibility,” a report to be released this week by FAO states.


In addition, the rapid growth of the aquaculture sector is suggested to be slowing, with previous yearly growth rates of over 10 per cent from 1985 to 1995 declining to 7 per cent in the following decade.

FAO has noted a series of issues facing the future of fish farming in a report that will be presented to countries attending a meeting of its aquaculture sub-committee this week in Puerto Varas, Chile.

Other challenges that will be explored in FAO’s report include the environmental impacts of fish farming, food safety and antibiotic use and the impact which climate change may have on aquaculture.

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UN-BACKED PROJECT SEEKS TO BOOST POOR FARMERS’ INCOME IN DEVELOPING WORLD

New York, Sep 24 2008 4:10PM
Hundreds of thousands of small farmers, especially in Africa and Central America, are expected to benefit from a United Nations-backed initiative announced today to provide them with reliable markets for surplus crops at competitive prices, thus bolstering fragile local economies.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the Government of Belgium have committed $76 million to Purchase for Progress (P4P) to transform the way the UN World Food Programme <"http://www.wfp.org/english/">(WFP) purchases food in developing countries.

“The world’s poor are reeling under the impact of high food and fuel prices, and buying food assistance from developing world farmers is the right solution at the right time,” WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2942">said.

“Purchase for Progress is win-win – we help our beneficiaries who have little or no food and we help local farmers who have little or no access to markets where they can sell their crops.”

Developed in partnership with the foundations, P4P will be launched in 21 pilot countries over the next five years. Innovations in WFP’s local food procurement practices, which are central to the agency’s new business model, aim to strengthen the role of smallholder and low-income farmers in agricultural markets and enable them to gain more from supplying food to WFP’s global operations.

WFP, the world’s single largest purchaser of food for humanitarian operations, will explore different ways to maximize gains for small farmers while minimizing any distortion to local markets. By supporting small farmers’ ability to produce and supply food to WFP’s global operations, P4P will help them increase their incomes, which is critical in addressing hunger and poverty at their roots.

“Developing new ways for WFP to purchase food locally represents a major step toward sustainable change that could eventually benefit millions of poor rural households in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has committed $66 million to fund pilot projects in 10 countries in Africa.

“P4P will help large numbers of small-scale farmers to become net producers rather than net consumers, ensuring that they stand to gain rather than lose from the current climate of rising food prices,” said Howard G. Buffett, President of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which has committed $9.1 million to support pilot projects in seven countries.
The Government of Belgium contributed $750,000 for the project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Three other countries have not yet been funded.

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SUCCESSFUL TRADE TALKS CAN BOOST GLOBAL ECONOMY AND LIVELIHOODS, SAYS UN OFFICIAL

New York, Aug 21 2008 1:10PM
A successful outcome to global trade talks is vital to strengthening the world economy and improving the livelihoods of millions of poor and vulnerable people, the head of the United Nations Development Programme (<"http://www.undp.org/">UNDP) said today, following the recent collapse of the Doha round of trade liberalization negotiations.

The seven-year-long round of global negotiations, led by the World Trade Organization (<"http://www.wto.org/">WTO), broke down at the end of July after countries failed to reach agreement on a safeguard that would allow developing nations to raise tariffs temporarily in the face of import surges and falling prices.

“It is clear that an agreement was close to being reached that, while not perfect, would nonetheless have been beneficial to developing countries and the world economy,” UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis said in a statement issued today.

“It is very desirable that the remaining obstacles to an agreement, especially regarding a special safeguard mechanism for agriculture, be overcome,” he added.

Mr. Dervis noted that while in some cases bilateral and regional trade agreements are beneficial to those participating, they cannot replace a truly multilateral system.

This is especially the case, he said, for developing countries, which can benefit from many of the rules and the dispute settlement mechanism of the multilateral trade regime.

“A balanced, equitable, open and multilateral trading system is desirable, particularly given both the current and foreseeable difficulties of the world economy owing to the financial crisis and high volatility of energy and food prices, which themselves are partly the result of sub-optimal trade policies,” stated Mr. Dervis.

He added that the next few weeks will be critical to revitalizing the negotiations.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed similar sentiments in a statement issued last month, in which he said that “success was particularly important at this juncture when the world faces major development challenges,” including climate change, poverty, increasing protectionism, limited progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the current food, fuel and financial crises.

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UN AGENCY LAUNCHES DATABASE ON WORLD TRADE IN CREATIVE PRODUCTS

New York, Aug 15 2008 12:10PM
A new public database in creative products – such as music, audiovisuals, newspapers and electronic publishing – has been launched today by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Currently the site shows global trade flows for 1996-2006. Selected products are listed along with the major exporters and importers in major markets for such creative products as art and crafts, music CDs and video and films. Statistics on some 235 products can be found at http://stats.unctad.org/creative.

UNCTAD says that traditional statistical methods are being updated to reflect accurately the rapidly growing international exchange of digitalized products such as music, films, videos, advertising, news, and all creative content that travel via the Internet and mobile phones.

The Creative Economy Report 2008, released by UNCTAD and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in April, showed that global trade in creative goods and services grew by 8.7 per cent annually from 2000-2005, making it one of the most vibrant sectors in world commerce.

The value of exports of creative goods reached $335.5 billion in 2005, according to figures reported by over 130 countries, while exports of creative services totaled $89 billion.

Trade in creative products is dominated by developed countries – they account for about 90 per cent of exports of music and audiovisuals, for example – although the world’s poorer nations have achieved rapid growth in the creative sector recently.

One noteworthy trend is that printed media are facing challenges because of the growing influence of electronic publishing. In Europe, which has the world’s highest rate of broadband Internet penetration, circulation of printed newspapers is declining.

By contrast, in developing countries where competition from electronic publishing is less of a factor because of expensive and limited Internet access, the circulation of printed newspapers seems less affected.

Worldwide, the database shows, global sales of published material and printed media – a range of news circulated as newspapers, magazines and books – had a growth rate of 3 per cent for 2000-2005, with exports amounting to $15.3 billion in 2005.

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COMPROMISE NEEDED TO REACH GLOBAL TRADE DEAL – WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION CHIEF

New York, Jul 23 2008 6:00PM
Countries must concentrate on compromise if they are to strike a global agreement to complete the current, much-delayed Doha round of trade liberalization negotiations by the end of this year, despite recent “constructive” talks, the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) <"http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news08_e/meet08_chair_23july08_e.htm">said today.

Pascal Lamy, the agency’s Director-General, told an informal gathering of the WTO’s Trade Negotiations Committee that progress was made during yesterday’s second round of consultations, but positive steps were “unevenly distributed across the issues discussed,” including agricultural and non-agricultural goods, subsidies and market access.

This year’s talks on the Doha Round – a round that was originally supposed to conclude several years ago – kicked off in Geneva on Monday, and Mr. Lamy said that the week-long meeting should result in “the much awaited green light that both the developed and developing world expects from us. This is a heavy responsibility and we must not let this chance slip away.”

He appealed to all delegations to deliberate on the issues at hand with urgency, emphasizing the importance of compromise.

“Success or failure depends very much on how far all are prepared to cooperate with each other on the fundamentally important issues, and whether we are each prepared to act with the interests of the broader membership, and of the benefits to the system as a whole, uppermost in our minds,” the Director-General said at today’s informal meeting of the Committee.

In his address, Mr. Lamy also welcomed Cape Verde as the 153rd member of the WTO.

“Membership will provide a stable and predictable basis for the growth and development of Cape Verde,” he said. “They have worked very hard to achieve this, knowing it will give a welcome boost to the economy, and their efforts serve as an example to us all.”

The island nation ratified its accession package – the final step in the accession process – today.

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SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WILL HELP STOP DESERTIFICATION, UN AGENCY SAYS

New York, Jun 17 2008 9:00AM
Poor farmers and herders in countries bearing the brunt of desertification and land degradation can help stop or reverse those processes by engaging in sustainable agriculture, the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) says.

Marking World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which is observed on 17 June, IFAD said in a statement that poor farmers and herders can form part of the solution with the assistance of international agencies.

“Ill-conceived agricultural practices, traditional or intensified, only make things worse as their poor populations have no choice but to adopt short-term survival methods, putting more pressure on increasingly scarce local resources,” IFAD said. “Climate change is increasing that pressure, and exacerbating droughts.”

The agency called for more efficient water use, improved cropping systems and better forest management, adding that hardier seeds will also help poor farmers withstand droughts and floods.

IFAD, which is tasked with reducing rural poverty, said more than two thirds of its projects are now located in ecologically fragile and marginal areas, where nearly half the world’s poor live.

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for keeping up this treasury of resources - I so much appreciate that here is a place where I can browse for vital information like this!
Thanks from the heart!

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POSTAL SERVICES A KEY ELEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

New York, Apr 30 2008 1:00PM
Marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) as a United Nations agency, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has <" http://www.upu.int/press/en/2008/un_secretary-general_pays_tribute_to_economic_value_of_postal_services_en.pdf">highlighted the important role of postal services, especially at a time when hundreds of millions of people have relocated from their country of origin and are anxious to share news and resources with their relatives.

“You may be one of the smallest specialized agencies, but the work you are doing is key to the broader mission of our Organization,” Mr. Ban said on Monday while at the UPU’s headquarters in Bern, Switzerland.

The Secretary-General said that the postal sector makes a well-known contribution to development, and pointed out that the UPU helps developing countries develop trade-related infrastructure and supply capacity, especially in Africa.

“The capacity of postal services to provide information, goods and fund transfers can lend valuable support to the growth of small businesses in developing countries and help them to access markets in industrialized States,” he stated.

The <"http://www.upu.int/">UPU is the primary forum for cooperation between national postal services. It establishes the rules for international mail exchange among its 191 members and makes recommendations on increasing the volume of mail, and on improving the quality of services. Each year, 5 million postal workers deliver over 433 billion letters domestically, and 5.5 billion internationally, as well as over 6 billion parcels.

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STREAMLINED CUSTOMS COULD BOOST EXPORTS BY POOREST COUNTRIES – UN OFFICIAL

New York, Apr 24 2008 5:00PM
Cumbersome customs procedures are adding unnecessary costs to the transport of goods from landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) to international markets, a senior UN official has told a meeting held to measure progress on the issue.

Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (<"http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2008/apr/g23.asp">ESCAP), said yesterday that international conventions on transport and transit could solve the problem by harmonizing, simplifying and standardizing rules and documentation.

Ms. Heyzer was speaking at the end of a two-day meeting in Bangkok which assessed progress in Asia and Europe since the UN’s Almaty Programme of Action was adopted in 2003. The programme aims to help LLDCs by supporting cooperation between landlocked and transit countries, and by cutting red tape, transport costs and time.

The meeting was organized by ESCAP, along with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (<"http://www.unece.org/">ECE), and the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (<"http://www.un.org/ohrlls/">UN-OHRLL.

Cheikh Sidi Diarra, the UN High Representative, told the meeting that much progress had been made since 2003. He said that, on average, it now takes LLDCs 49 days to export a consignment of goods, down from 57 days in 2005. He also cited two ESCAP initiatives as good examples of better transit cooperation: the Asian Highway Network and the Trans-Asian Railway Network. The Highway covers 141,000 kilometres and links 32 countries, while the Railway runs 81,000 kilometres in 28 countries.

Ms. Heyzer noted that “there are still remarkable infrastructure gaps which cannot be addressed without involving the private sector.” But she added that “the landlocked and the transit countries share many common problems” and cited another ESCAP initiative, the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, as a tool that could help these countries engage in dynamic trade and investment.

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POOREST COUNTRIES HAVE YET TO BENEFIT FROM TRADE LIBERALIZATION – UN OFFICIAL

New York, Apr 22 2008 6:00PM
Landlocked and least developed countries (LDCs) have been further marginalized as a result of trade liberalization, which has led to increased growth in many parts of the world, a senior United Nations official has said.

Addressing the 12th UN Conference on Trade and Development (<"http://www.unctad.org/Templates/StartPage.asp?intItemID=2068">UNCTAD), taking place in Accra, Ghana, Cheick Sidi Diarra lamented the fact that many of these countries have experienced a further loss of their market share as a result of trade liberalization.

Mr. Diarra, the UN’s High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, noted that globalization, which is supposed to lead to economic growth and reduce poverty, has served to deepen the disparities between and within countries.

To further integrate LDCs into the world economy, he called for domestic policies that support technological progress and innovation, as well as employment creation and upgrading of physical infrastructure. This must be accompanied by the creation of an enabling global environment, he added.

Landlocked developing countries are particularly marginalized in the international trading system, Mr. Diarra pointed out, owing to their remoteness from major world markets and excessive transit transport costs.

The High Representative said that addressing this situation requires the establishment of viable transit transport systems and the building up of export capacity.

He also expressed support for the Aid-for-Trade (AFT) initiative – launched at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Conference – which aims to scale up international financial assistance for building up trade capacity in developing countries.

Mr. Diarra hoped the Accra gathering would help focus attention on the urgent need for greater support for the LDCs and landlocked developing countries in the area of international trade.

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TRADE AND INVESTMENT KEYS TO SPURRING AFRICA’S GROWTH, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

New York, Apr 21 2008 12:00PM
Increased trade and investment, particularly in agriculture, are crucial if Africa is to achieve the kind of growth needed to meeting its development targets, as well as to address the current global food crisis, which threatens to undo the gains made so far, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon <" said" target="_blank">http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=221">said today.

“We face a development emergency,” Mr. Ban told the high-level segment of the twelfth UN Conference on Trade and Development (<" http://www.unctadxii.org/en/">UNCTAD), taking place in Accra, Ghana.

He noted that well past the mid-point of the race to achieve the set of internationally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), many countries are falling behind.

Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, “is most at risk – here, not a single country is on track to meet all of the MDGs by 2015,” he told the gathering of trade and development officials from around the world.

At the same time, advances on specific goals in individual African countries such as Ghana, Kenya and Uganda suggest that rapid progress is certainly possible, Mr. Ban stated, adding that the successes in these countries need to be replicated and expanded across Africa with effective support from the international community. “This scaling-up of our development activities requires unprecedented effort, but it is achievable.”

The Secretary-General pointed out that Africa has yet to fully benefit from globalization, especially increased trade and investment, noting that the continent’s share of global trade and foreign investment languishes at a mere 3 per cent.

Critical to spurring Africa’s growth is to ensure a breakthrough in the Doha Round of trade talks, as well as more South-South exchanges and greater foreign direct investment, he said.

Mr. Ban also drew attention to the “alarming” rise in global food prices, which he said threatens to undo the gains achieved so far in fighting hunger and malnutrition.

The situation calls for a substantial increase in investment and expenditure in agriculture, and underscores the importance of pushing for an open trading system in agricultural commodities – which would benefit countries around the world, the Secretary-General said.

Stating he was “especially troubled” by incidents of food riots in Africa and around the world, Mr. Ban urged countries to consider “bold measures to guarantee affordable food to even the poorest of the poor.”

In particular, he urged donors to support the appeal for $755 million by the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) to sustain food aid to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

In addition, he called for a substantial increase in expenditures on agriculture, adding that trade and investment should be used to bring about a ‘Green revolution’ of improved agricultural productivity across Africa.

The Secretary-General’s visit to Ghana is the first stop on a four-nation tour of West Africa that will also take him to Liberia, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire.

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GLOBAL RICE PRODUCTION TO RISE BY 1.8 PER CENT IN 2008, SAYS UN AGENCY

New York, Apr 2 2008 10:00AM
Global rice production is expected to increase by 1.8 per cent – or 12 million tonnes – this year, easing a tight supply situation in key cultivating countries, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) <" http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000820/index.html">said today.

Assuming normal weather conditions, sizable production increases are expected in all the major Asian rice-producing countries – Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand, where supply and demand are currently rather stretched.

“The international rice market is currently facing a particularly difficult situation with demand outstripping supply and substantial price increases,” said FAO Senior Economist Concepcion Calpe.

She added that higher rice production in 2008 could reduce the pressure, but short-term volatility will probably continue, given the very limited supplies available from stocks. “This implies that the market may react very strongly to any good or bad news about crops or policies,” she stated.

Production is also expected to rise in Africa, Latin America and the European Union, while it may contract in Japan, one of the few countries where producer prices fell last year, the agency said.

Meanwhile, the forecast for Australia is “dismal,” in light of extremely low water availability, and a decrease is also expected in the United States, owing to competition from more profitable crops.

According to FAO, global rice prices have risen by about 20 per cent since January, reflecting the limited supplies available for sale. Prices are not likely to rise further in the coming months, with the arrival of new rice harvests in Brazil or Uruguay, as well as in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam. “So far, prospects regarding these crops are positive,” said Ms. Calpe.

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UN PREDICTS RISE IN GLOBAL CEREAL PRODUCTION BUT WARNS PRICES WILL REMAIN HIGH

New York, Feb 14 2008  3:00PM
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) today predicted a rise in world cereal production this year but warned that prices will remain at record levels and could even increase.

Greater anticipated production is resulting from winter grain plantings and good weather among major producers in Europe and in the United States, coupled with a generally satisfactory outlook elsewhere, according to FAO's latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation report.

But with dwindling stocks, continuing strong demand for cereals is keeping international prices high, despite a record world harvest last season, the report said. International wheat prices last month were 83 per cent higher than in January 2007.

Poor countries where food is scarce are expected to import less cereal but pay more, <"http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000783/index.html">FAO said. "Cereal imports for all Low-Income Food-Deficit countries in 2007-08 are forecast to decline by about 2 per cent in volume, but as a result of soaring international cereal prices and freight rates, their cereal import bill is projected to rise by 35 per cent for the second consecutive year," the agency said in a news release.

Worldwide, 36 countries are currently facing food crises, according to the report.

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COCOA FARMERS TO BENEFIT FROM NEW UN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHOCOLATE GIANT

New York, Jan 30 2008  5:00PM
The United Nations Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2008/january/cadbury-undp-ghana-20080128.en">UNDP) is setting up a partnership with the confectionery conglomerate Cadbury to support cocoa-farming communities in Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean by helping them to boost their crop yields, find new sources of income and improve local infrastructure.

Under the public-private initiative, announced this week in Accra, Ghana, Cadbury is to invest seed funding of $2 million in the project this year, with annual funding to rise to $10 million by 2010.

About 70 per cent of the money will be invested in Ghana, which provides the cocoa beans for Cadbury’s chocolate products in the United Kingdom and where current cocoa yields reach only 40 per cent of their potential.

UN agencies in Ghana and elsewhere will work with local farmers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government officials to determine how best to spend the funds.

The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is expected to focus on increasing the yields of farmers so that they produce top-quality beans. It will also introduce new sources of income, through microfinance and other forms of business support, while some funds will be spent on building or improving infrastructure, including schools, libraries, water wells and biodiversity protection projects.

Daouda Touré, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Ghana, said the agency was striving to promote a more inclusive model of sustainable development.

“We hope to show just how effectively sustainable cocoa production can be in generating improved opportunities for local farmers, conserving the environment and building a brighter future for younger generations,” Mr. Touré said.

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The world’s largest humanitarian organization, WFP bought 2.1 million metric tons valued at over $760 million from 69 developing countries in 2007, with Uganda as the largest supplier.

The agency has a policy of buying food locally when and where there is an abundance, but it avoids these markets at times of scarcity in order to avoid distorting prices.

“Local purchases create win-win situations to hunger,” said Josette Sheeran, WFP’s Executive Director. “In an era of soaring food prices – which hit hardest those already hungry – such solutions are more critical than ever.”

To offset a surge in prices, the agency buys food in local markets in developing countries where prices can be lower and which are located close to where WFP distributes supplies.

Rising fuel and commodity costs have impacted WFP’s ability to supply food to the hungry, but transport costs are minimized through the agency’s delivery of food purchased in developing countries either locally or regionally.

“Buying ‘local’ helps provide more income for small-scale farmers, while saving money for WFP,” said Ms. Sheeran, who is currently in Davos, Switzerland, to speak about local food procurement and other issues at the World Economic Forum to be held later this week.

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FINLAND OFFERS CHF620,000 TO THE WTO TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR THE BENEFIT OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Finland has donated CHF620,000 (EUR375,000) to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF). Since 2000, Finland’s contributions have reached CHF4.9 million.
> Press release: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres08_e/pr504_e.htm
> More on technical assistance: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/devel_e/teccop_e/tct_e.htm
> More on Finland: http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/finland_e.htm

(Click on the links or copy and paste them into your browser.  Alternatively, you can go to our home page http://www.wto.org and follow the links.)

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Dear PHILIP,

View a personal thank you from Oxfam and Ethiopian coffee farmers

I have great news for you today. We’ve just received word that Starbucks and Ethiopia have finalized an agreement that ends their trademark dispute and brings both sides together in partnership to help Ethiopian farmers. This agreement has the potential to give these farmers a fair share of the profits for their world-renowned coffees, and it’s what Oxfam has been pushing for since November.

More than 96,000 of our supporters around the world helped make this happen. Your emails, faxes, phone calls, postcards, and even in-person visits to Starbucks added strength to the call of Ethiopian farmers and brought global attention to this issue.

Because of your actions, Ethiopian coffee farmers have chance at a better life. You should feel very proud.

Click here to view a personal Thank You from Oxfam America President Raymond C. Offenheiser and some of the Ethiopian farmers who will benefit from this agreement.

While we’re all celebrating this important victory, our work is far from over. We will continue to raise awareness about issues of poverty, hunger, and injustice around the world. We are creating a force for change, and you are a critical partner in our work.

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Here's one YES! story on Fair Trade—a movement seeking to decrease the disparity:

Java Justice
Shows the work of one coffee cooperative in Uganda to raise the earnings of coffee farmers and create religious harmony, too, between Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Ask your students to find out about the coffee that's consumed in their homes and neighborhood coffee shops.

"I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion
thrown from the table of someone who considers himself
my master. I want the full menu of rights."
Bishop Desmond Tutu

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Rebeca C.

Dear friends...
This time it's mine. Please sign and pass along.
Also, can anyone help me figure out what to do once a bunch of signatures have been collected. This is my first petition and could use some advice.
Thanks!
Rebeca


Border Fauna in danger of Extintion

The U.S. government has voted for the construction of a wall between Mexico and U.S creating an enormous wildlife barrier. The construction of this wall will: - prevent wildlife migrations between the two countries - destroy the habitat of endangered species - cause water pollution - destroy environmental resources along the border thus further hurting the recovery of endangered especies such as the Jaguar, Sonoran Pronghorn, and Mexican Gray Wolf. We appeal to the U.S. government to work closely with conservation organisations and make use of their technological and economic power to find alternatives to the border planned to be built between Mexico and the U.S which do not cause further damage to endangered species and their environment.
While we recognise that the US is entitled to let in whoever they please, border control should not extend to animals, especially endangered species who have used their routes long before humans started dividing the natural world with borders and fences.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/909124457

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Twelve years after the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by the US, Canada and Mexico, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) has released a report detailing the trade deal’s effects on the economies, working people and the labor markets of all three nations. NAFTA has not lived up to its promise of better jobs and faster growth. Instead, inequality is growing and real wages are stagnating in all three countries, while the US-NAFTA trade deficit has skyrocketed. In his introduction to the report, Jeff Faux, EPI Distinguished Fellow and author of The Global Class War, says “NAFTA rules protect the interests of large corporate investors while undercutting workers’ rights, environmental protections, and democratic accountability…The time for a continent-wide debate over the future of this agreement, which was negotiated by and for the rich and powerful in all three countries, is now overdue.” Read the report on http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/bp173.

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This is a great discussion group. I believe that the best way to address global poverty is to trade wisely. See how NAFTA has made poverty worse in Mexico.

NAFTA: Ten Years of Broken Promises

The North American Free Trade Agreement was supposed to raise living standards for both American and Mexican workers. Instead America has lost jobs by the thousands and Mexican workers are being exploited. Now the Bush Administration wants to extend the same types of agreements to the rest of Latin America, China and India. Tell Congress not to accept these exploitive agreements.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNLnBnTuxvU

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 [ accepted]

WTO talks: dead or just sleeping?
The collapse of the WTO talks is a tragedy, a tragedy engineered by Northern governments, who have put the interests of 'their' multinational companies before the interests of the planet as a whole?, says PSI?s Mike Waghorne. For a closer look at the reasons behind the failure of the talks, see http://www.world-psi.org/content5 

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Current trade problems and developments

Commodity prices and output

• Commodities: The lifeblood of developing countries (G.Capdevila) 23 Mac 2001
• Larger private sector role in new cocoa agreement (C.Raghavan) 2 Mac 2001

• EU chocolate vote threatens cocoa producers (N.Sarno) (20 Mar 00)

• Little to cheer in outlook for new millennium (IP

• IMF plan to sell gold enrages producers (Gumisai Mutume)

• Oil prices ravage Middle East economies (Thalif Deen)

• Brazil: Increase in coffee exports lowers price (Mario Osava)

• Worst may be over for commodities

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Signed, thanks Philip!

Hugs, Susan

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 [ accepted]