Developing countries split over WTO farm protection

By Jonathan Lynn

GENEVA (Reuters) - The world's poorer countries are divided over proposals for a new global trade deal, with developing country food importers pitted against exporters pushing for greater liberalisation.

The differences turn on two technical measures in the proposals on agriculture in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Doha round talks -- "special products" and the "special safeguard mechanism".

"These safeguards are at the core of the development outcome of the round as they involve the concerns of food security, livelihood security and rural development in developing countries," several developing-country alliances accounting for half the WTO's 153 members said in a joint statement.

Developing countries such as India, China and Indonesia have argued for measures at the WTO to protect their millions of subsistence farmers from the impact of trade liberalisation.

But developing-country food exporters like Thailand and Uruguay believe increased sales of farm produce to other poor countries are a key source of growth and development.

"India does not have a monopoly on poverty," said Ronald Saborio Soto, Costa Rica's ambassador to the WTO. "When an employee wants to keep his job he doesn't care whether exports go to a developing or developed country," he told Reuters.

NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE