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Gearing up for UNCTAD XI
With the WTO in continued stalemate, the opportunity to debate alternative policies for agriculture and rural development has opened up within the UN system. UNCTAD, the UN Conference for Trade and Development, will meet June 13-18, 2004, in São Paulo, Brazil, to set the organization's priorities for the next four years.
Civil society campaigning for an end to agricultural dumping and other fair trade policies are now preparing for the UNCTAD XI meeting, with an emphasis on a new set of rules making agriculture an engine of development.
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Vandana Shiva in St. Paul
 Noted Indian scholar, author, and activist Vandana Shiva will speak at Macalester College at 7 p.m. on Tues., March 30, in the Alexander Hill Ballroom of Kagin Commons as the Macalester Environmental Studies Distinguished Speaker for 2004. The topic of her talk will be "From Corporate Globalization to Earth Democracy."
The presentation is free and open to the public. Kagin Hall is on the Macalester College Campus on the northwest corner of Grand and Snelling in St. Paul. For further information, call (651) 696-6405 or e-mail smithb@macalester.edu.
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U.S. Commodity Dumping Continues
 U.S. based multinational food companies are continuing a decade-long trend of agricultural dumping of five major export commodities onto world markets, according to a new analysis by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Agricultural dumping is the exporting of commodities at prices below their cost of production.
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Open Ocean Aquaculture:
The Future of U.S. Fish Farming?
 A new IATP white paper examines a rapidly growing and relatively unknown sector in U.S. fish farming: Open ocean aquaculture (OOA). The paper is the first to assess this novel new form of fish culture in a comprehensive manner. Compiled by a multidisciplinary team of experts, the report explains the current legal and regulatory state of OOA, analyzes the wide range of impacts that may result from its widespread adoption and the likely content of this year's offshore aquaculture bill. The authors call for a moratorium on further OOA development until a number of safeguards can be adequately met.
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Pressure Builds against GE Wheat
Thirty-seven organizations formally endorsed a legal petition today that calls for the Bush Administration to conduct a more thorough public review of the social, economic and environmental impacts of Monsanto's pending application for genetically engineered Roundup Ready wheat. The signatory groups represented constituencies from the Minnesota Farmers Union to the Center for Food Safety to the Organic Trade Association to the National Catholic Rural Live Conference to the Intertribal Agriculture Council.
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Beyond Mad Cow
 The Dec. 23 outbreak of mad cow disease in a Washington State herd of Holstein cattle is continuing to reverberate throughout the economy and food system of the United States. Over the years, IATP and its president, Mark Ritchie, have repeatedly called on the USDA and the cattle industry to take steps to avoid this public health disaster.
In a commentary, "Beyond Mad Cow," Ritchie links the spread and cause of this deadly disease to globalization.
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IATP at the Fifth WTO Ministerial
 The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has several current projects
focused on the fifth World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Cancún,
Mexico. Some of these projects include:
- Fair Trade Fair: During
the WTO ministerial in Cancún, IATP in conjunction with worldwide NGOs and
governments, presents a showcase of an alternative, sustainable model of trade
that is thriving—despite global economic policies that threaten the livelihoods
of small producers. More info at fairtradeexpo.org.
- White papers: IATP staff has published a series of six white papers
regarding current WTO debates. These white papers and many other publications,
news updates and other resources are featured at Trade Observatory.
- Radio Cancún: An online
radio station that broadcasts on-demand interviews, news updates and events.
Visit radiocancun.org for more
information and to tune in. (Requires RealPlayer)
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The position of Director of Information Technology is open as of March 4. This is a full time position based in Minneapolis. Download a job description and application instructions (PDF).
The position of Senior Associate for Global Governance is open as of Feb. 18. The position is full time for a minimum of a one-year contract and is based in Minneapolis. For a complete job description and application instructions, download the job announcement (PDF).
One internship is open as of Feb. 18, 2004. For a description of the internship and application instructions, please download the position announcement (PDF).
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IATP News, the electronic bulletin reporting recent events and activities taking place at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, is now available for January 2004.
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On Feb. 4, Minnesota Global presented a talk by Jim Garrison, president of the State of the World Forum and author of the newly published book America as Empire.
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 Global Governance, a new book by IATP's Kristin Dawkins, explores the origins and current state of play in the major global institutions, the rising dominance of global corporations and the growing wealth of the world's political elite amidst increasing poverty throughout the world.
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 Renewing the Countryside are beautiful, inspiring books that tell the stories of Minnesotans and Iowans protecting the environment and promoting our rural communities through innovative businesses and community projects. Buy Renewing the Countryside: Iowa in hardcover or paperback, Renewing the Countryside: Minnesota and the 2004 Renewing the Countryside: Iowa calendar.
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"This is a politically motivated, very focused administration. They are not going to do something that's going to cut off their legs politically. There's going to be no concession (on trade) that harms Bush's chances of reelection in Florida. Period."
—Mark Ritchie, President, IATP
Los Angeles Times
January 20, 2004
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