September 2002 PR118/02

WSSD recognises its Hard to be Green if you are in the Red

The strong support for calls to eliminate farming subsidies was a positive outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, says Federated Farmer's President Tom Lambie.

Mr Lambie attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg as part of the official New Zealand delegation.

"Developing nations and NGOs from around the world were calling for the elimination of all types of subsidies to Northern Hemisphere farmers," said Mr Lambie.

"There was a clear recognition that farming subsidies and the trade disruption they cause are a barrier to sustainable development and a major obstacle for even the poorest country to get ahead. This view was carried through into the Summit text that supported the WTO Doha declaration.

"If countries don't have a good economic base built upon sound investment and an ability to trade either at local, national or international level, then it is almost impossible to drive sustainable agriculture.

"When dealing with the type of poverty levels that this conference was aiming to address, it was a must to tackle the investment and trade issues. Otherwise the world leaders were consigning developing countries to poverty into the future. "It is very hard to be green if you are in the red."

ENDS

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