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IFOAM at the WTO in Seattle |
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December 19, 1999
Delegates of IFOAM where present at the WTO ministerial in December 1999.
They advocated for the following position: |
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1. IFOAM views the harmonization of markets as a positive development, in principle, from a global historical perspective.
2. IFOAM supports in principle the development of a multilateral rule based system for global trade and government disciplines.
3. IFOAM supports the participation of NGOs and the private sector in
GATT/WTO. Their participation could be through the multilateral
global sector or trade forums such as IFOAM, ILO, etc.
4. IFOAM advocates, in principle, free trade for organic products,
taking into account the impact on the environment and social welfare.
5. IFOAM takes no position on the issue of taking agriculture out of the WTO.
6. IFOAM considers that the introduction of organic agriculture, proper
national and international agricultural policies, democracy and social
security are the most relevant measures for ensuring food security.
IFOAM supports the principle that food produced from local natural
resources for local consumption to the extent possible is the basis of
the organic farming concept and of sustainable agriculture and is
necessary for long-term sustainable food security. IFOAM has no
position on the Food Security box proposal.
7. In principle, IFOAM does not support subsidies to the agricultural
sector. However, if subsidies are used, IFOAM supports allocation
of subsidies to encourage organic agriculture. IFOAM supports the
principle that farmers should be paid for services for the benefit of
environment and society, beyond food production.
8. IFOAM supports the initiatives to remove export subsidies and to protect domestic markets from dumping activities.
9. IFOAM advocates greater transparency in pricing of agricultural
products, particularly the internalization of production-related
pollution costs.
10. IFOAM objects to the use of GMO in agriculture and food production
in general (as expressed in the Mar del Plata declaration). IFOAM
supports a worldwide moratorium on GMOs in agriculture and food
production.
11. WTO agreements shall not hinder non-governmental labeling systems
based on PPMs, or other non-product related labeling standards, like
organic labeling, environmental labeling or fair trade labeling.
12. IFOAM believes that the principles in the Agreement on Technical
Barriers to Trade encourage the use of international standards and
criteria for production and processing methods and, as such, encourages
the use of IFOAM Basic Standards and IFOAM Accreditation Criteria for
Organic Certification.
Approved by the WB October 99 and revised by the EB 21st November 1999.
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