EcoFair Rules!
The new role of agricultural trade within the conflict area of the climate-, food- and economic crises

 

Current agricultural production, its markets and trade in agricultural goods are not able to cope with these challenges. Developments in food prices during 2007/08 provided a glimpse into the future, when average international market prices suddenly increased by more than 100 per cent and over 150 million more people were severely affected by hunger.
The sharp increase in food prices resulted in a range of reactions in global trade arena. While many international players pressed for the conclusion of the Doha Round as an essential step in combating hunger, major producing countries imposed ad hoc protectionist measures. Several countries suspended exports in order to safeguard food supplies for their own people, thus driving world market prices for basic staple foods, such as rice, even higher.
It is time to reconsider and redefine the regulation and flow of international agricultural trade against the backdrop of severe global crises (such as the climate, food and financial crises). Should existing political and institutional frameworks be adapted so that international trade relations within the agricultural sector do not intensify the current crises even further? What can agricultural trade contribute to solving the food crisis? What role can and should the WTO play in all these developments? What alternatives do regional trade agreements offer? How do the international climate regime and agricultural trade regulations interact?
The EU-funded EcoFair Trade Dialogue, a worldwide dialogue project between representatives of civil society organisations, the scientific community and governments which was initiated by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and Misereor, has devoted itself to these questions during the past five years. Within the frame of the project and as a follow-up to the three major events of 2009 – the World Food Summit in November and the WTO and climate negotiations in December – we would like to cordially invite you to evaluate, discuss and think further with us.

 

Registration
Please register by filling in the electronic registration form or by fax at +49 (0)30 28534-109

 

Conference Languages
All conference presentations will be simultaneously trabnslated fram English into German and vice versa  

 

Project Management and Information 

Christine Chemnitz, Programme Director, International Agricultural Trade, chemnitz@boell.de, +49-30-285 34 312 

Michaela Birk, Political Consultant/Project Manager, michaela@boellstiftung.org, +49-30-40048 483  

 

Venue

Beletage, Heinrich Böll Foundation

Schumannstrasse 8

10117 Berlin