How to fix the WTO for agricultural disputes
- Media Manager
- Mar 18, 2024
- 1 min read
‘I think we have no choice but to try to rebuild it’ says former trade negotiator
Farmtario
Written By: Karen Briere
Published: March 18th, 2024
Photo Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain
A rebuilt World Trade Organization would benefit agriculture, according to long-time Canadian trade negotiator Steve Verheul.
Verheul was among those at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting in late February.
Why it matters: Canadian agriculture thrives on trade, and that relies on effective and enforceable trade rules.
It’s his belief that the WTO is fundamentally broken and, because of that, agriculture is losing out.
“Agriculture in particular, probably more than most sectors, has the potential to benefit a lot from the WTO because it’s the only place to address subsidies. It’s the only place to address export subsidies. It’s the only place to address those cross-cutting issues, because you never get at those in any bilateral or regional agreement,” he said in an interview.
A level playing field for international trade is among the largest overarching issues for Canada’s agricultural trade, and that can’t be achieved without a functioning WTO, he said.
