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WTO Ministerial Conference
Quebec producers' representatives join those of 53 countries to send a message to Trade Ministers

Longueuil, June 28, 2006 - The representatives of The GO5 Coalition for a Fair Farming Model, Supply Management, are joining forces with farmers' representatives from 53 countries in West Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. They are telling the Trade Ministers of the 150 World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries that the right of farmers to ensure the food sovereignty of their own country first must not be traded-off for any reason whatsoever.

The chairmen of the Quebec table egg, milk and poultry federations and the president of the Syndicat des producteurs d'œufs d'incubation, the hatching egg producers' syndicate, today participated in a joint event in Geneva with representatives of this major coalition of farm organizations. This activity was held in the run-up to the ministerial conference that will open tomorrow in Geneva. The participants in this event published an open letter this morning in the Financial Times of London to spread their message.

The draft modalities text, on which the WTO executives hope to reach an agreement at the end of July, provides for measures incompatible with agricultural policies that foster food sovereignty, such as the supply management system practised in Canada in milk, poultry and eggs. These commodities do not receive any subsidies and focus on the domestic market. The border tariff reductions proposed in this text, which would include sensitive products, such as milk, eggs and poultry, would expose them to unfair competition from heavily subsidized foreign products.

Quebec milk, egg and poultry producers believe that the failure of the negotiations is preferable to an agreement that would destructure domestic policies, such as supply management, that cause no market distortion. "The consequences of an agreement on these bases would be devastating, both for farmers here and for those in developing countries," said Laurent Pellerin, President of the UPA and spokesperson for the GO5 Coalition.

"Canada is one of the only countries to have complied with the Uruguay Round's requirements by reducing its domestic support and increasing access to its market," Pellerin added. Backing up his position with figures, he pointed out that "in the dairy sector, Canada already gives access to 4% of its market, while only 2.5% is conceded in the United States. In poultry, Canada already offers access to 7.5% of its domestic market, while the European Union currently concedes only 0.5% (half of 1%). We have already given enough," Pellerin concluded.

Less than 10% of the world's agricultural produce is sold on the international market. Even in Canada, the world's fourth biggest exporter of agricultural products, 70% of farm income comes from the domestic market. "The free trade advocated by the WTO will primarily benefit the major corporate and multinational operations of the industrialized countries, rather than the developing countries," said Marcel Groleau, Chairman of the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec. Mr. Groleau added that the world's farmers want to feed their respective populations first, obtain a fair income from the market and, above all, not depend on subsidies. This position is not often heard at the WTO.

Within the context of the WTO trade negotiations, Canadian milk, egg and poultry farmers are trying to maintain the fundamental right to band together in a collective marketing system that helps ensure Canada's food sovereignty. "Canada has practised supply management for over thirty years in the milk and poultry commodities. It encourages local production of quality food, at good prices, and allows human-scaled family farms to derive their income from the marketplace, without the help of subsidies," concluded Serge Lefebvre, Chairman of the Fédération des producteurs d'œufs de consommation.

Since its creation in 2003, The GO5 Coalition for a Fair Farming Model, Supply Management has rallied 30,000 individuals and organizations who believe in strong and prosperous farming in Quebec. It brings together agricultural producers, agri-food partners, businesses, elected representatives and individuals. Its initiatives seek to promote the supply management system and ensure that this system is maintained at the end of the current WTO round of negotiations. For more information, visit Web site www.go5quebec.ca.

The chairmen of the Quebec table egg, milk and poultry federations and the president of the Syndicat des producteurs d'œufs d'incubation, the Quebec hatching egg syndicate, Serge Lefebvre, Marcel Groleau, Yves Baril and Gyslain Loyer, are present in Geneva to monitor the negotiations.

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