This report identifies options that negotiators and policy-makers could pursue in order to reach a permanent solution at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the problems some developing countries say they face when buying food at government-set (or government-administered) prices under their public stockholding programs for food security purposes. The …
This fortnight the Indian delegation to the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (wto) in Doha is going to stand out as the champion of the Third World, defending the poor of the world against the "rich man's organisation" in the words of our minister of commerce, Murasoli Maran. …
TALL and slender with a luminescent white complexion - this could be a description in a stereotype matrimonial in an Indian newspaper or it could be a vague attempt to describe the king of rice - basmati. The mystical values basmati evokes across the world, other rice varieties do not …
buckling under the pressure of the industry, the Sri Lankan government has indefinitely postponed its plans to impose one of the world's stringent bans on genetically modified (gm) food. The ban was initially imposed in May 2001. But it was postponed a month later due to pressure from the World …
the silver lining on the cloud of smoke has proved futile in the us . Only an insignificant amount of the funds from a landmark settlement between the 50 us states and tobacco giants has been utilised for anti-smoking programmes, according to a new report. In 1998, all the us …
the much-awaited Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Bill 1999 was recently passed by the Lok Sabha. The bill, which is the first attempt to protect the rights of farmers, has been termed as
the Indian system of medicines can take a leaf out of the French experience when it comes to marketing their products. Geographically labelling the medicinal plants used in various preparations, which shows their source of origin, would translate into better business. Not only would it put a seal of genuineness …
Sri Lanka has decided to suspend a ban on the use of genetically modified (GM) food, following a request made by the World Trade Organisation (WTO). But government officials maintain that strict restrictions would be imposed, which would allow them to study the health risks associated with GM foods. WTO …
Globalisation is increasingly reducing the power of individual governments vis a vis multinational corporations whose annual turnover far exceed the gross national product of many wto members. This makes wto a major force influencing countries to open up to the world faster. Unfortunately this leaves a country vulnerable to market …
the world's largest rookery of the highly endangered Olive Ridley turtle, Gahirmatha beach in Orissa, is fast becoming their largest graveyard, too. This year's record-breaking mass nesting of 800,000 turtles sent waves of jubilation among conservationists. But, the figure of 6,000 dead turtles washed ashore ebbed this jubilation. Last year …
The automobile industry in India may breathe a sigh of relief at last. While quota restrictions have been lifted at long last they have been provided a certain degree of protection by the government. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (siam) had lobbied extensively with the government to impose restrictions …
the appellate body of World Trade Organisation (wto) has upheld the French ban on asbestos. Canada, a leading exporter of asbestos, used to export nearly 30,000 metric tonnes of Chrysotile, or "white' asbestos each year to France till 1996, when France imposed a ban on its asbestos. Canada, alleging that …
punjab farmers are protesting against a World Trade Organisation (wto) agreement that will come into force from April 1, 2001. According to the agreement, as many as 1,429 items from other countries would be allowed to enter the Indian market. These include nearly 300 items related to agriculture and allied …
Growing global concerns over environmental issues has once again underlined the need for an effective and vigilant environmental forum with a valid mandate that would provide concrete guidance to all nations. While the number of environmental forum and institutions have proliferated over the years yet concrete policy decisions along with …
Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) have become the new "super brands' in global governance. They have earned a far greater level of trust than some of the most well-respected global multinational companies, governments and global media, according to research conducted by Strategy One, a unit of the UK-based Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. …
According to the World Conservation Union's listing, the bird is safe and secure. But it appears in India's Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as a Schedule IV species
Breast meat is a delicacy in USA. So much so that a company called Avigenics has decided to genetically modify chicken into one that can give the country's citizens more breast meat per palate and plate. Or to derive some medical benefit for the pharmaceutical industry. That's not all. It …
The first step for the development of a poultry industry in India was taken in 1860 with the founding of the Indian Poultry Club in Lucknow by some British officers. Then in early 20th century foreign missionaries began to import foreign or exotic breeds. One of the first breeds to …
There was a time when a banquet in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh was considered incomplete without kalamansi to eat. Kala or black and masni or meat, literally means bird with black meat. Kadaknath (strong), as the fowl is popularly known, graced every rite and ritual. It is not just …
long before the birth of Christ, a bird, never seen before in the valley of the Blue Nile, reached the court of the pharaohs. Neither the architectural grandeur of the court nor the
