-The Hindu As global trade falls and supply disruptions persist, a prolonged lockdown will adversely affect food security The COVID-19 pandemic has led to global concerns on the state of agriculture and food security. On the one hand, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned of a “food crisis” if countries do not protect vulnerable people from hunger and malnourishment. On the other, farmers face a stalemate as they are unable...

-The Hindu Business Line To have one member from December 11; India has 3 pending appeals before it Geneva: The US has finally spiked the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body, the highest adjudicating body for resolving global trade disputes. It shall remain dysfunctional after December 10, when it will be reduced to one member, said trade envoys. As a parting shot, the US on Tuesday blocked an initiative under Rule 15 of the...

-The Hindu Business Line The WTO hasn’t got the US to cut its cotton subsidies. This has hurt developing nations and distorted global trade in the commodity Recognising the importance of cotton in agriculture development, poverty reduction and international trade, World Trade Organization (WTO) observed World Cotton Day on October 7. While this initiative is laudable, it does not conceal the harsh reality that the WTO has failed repeatedly in its efforts...

Almost one in every five suicides in the world is committed by self-poisoning with pesticide, which mostly occur in rural, agricultural areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), states a new publication entitled 'Preventing Suicide: A resource for pesticide registrars and regulators'. Published jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the booklet says that the adoption of green revolution technology...

-The Hindu Business Line Canada, US serve counter-notification to India India’s minimum support price (MSP) programme for pulses has come under greater scrutiny at the World Trade Organization (WTO) with the US, Canada and Australia serving it a formal counter-notification, alleging that the subsidy involved was much higher than the permitted cap. The EU, New Zealand, Ukraine and Paraguay also joined the chorus against the country. Defending itself at the agriculture committee meeting...