The Breakdown of the Doha Round Negotiations - What Does it Mean for Dealing with Soaring Food Prices?

In the period leading up to the July 2008 WTO ministerial meeting, the crisis of soaring food prices was used both to argue for a speedy resolution of the negotiations, and to argue against any further reductions in protection that might result from a new agreement. Are the arguments relating to food prices valid? Does the collapse of the round have significant implications in the context of soaring food prices? To answer these questions, this brief examines the extent to which existing - and proposed - changes to WTO rules and provisions affect response measures to soaring food prices.