. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/NG/W/86
6 December 2000
(00-5277)
Committee on Agriculture
Special SessionOriginal:  English
FOURTH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
15-17 NOVEMBER 2000
Statement by Jamaica
Non-Trade Concerns   (G/AG/NG/W/36)
Jamaica welcomes the paper G/ AG/NG/W/36 Rev.1 tabled by a number of countries on non-
trade concerns (NTC) and sees this paper as an attempt to focus and direct discussions on an issue
which is of primary importance to all WTO members.  The fact that the paper is sponsored by a wide
cross section of countries of varying sizes and economies is an indication of the importance of thesubject referred to as non-trade concerns.
While there seems to be no definition on NTCs in the document, the elements identified are
fundamental to discussions within the WTO on the process of reform within the framework of
Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture.  Jamaica can identify with a number of these elementsand supports "fully" this document as the basis for further discussions and formulation of
multilaterally agreed principles on NTC
The elements I refer to include food security, rural development, source of employment, land
use function.  As an agricultural economy Jamaica sees the agricultural sector as a very important
sector for socio-economic development.  Agriculture provides  22 per cent  of direct employment in
Jamaica.
If one were to examine the two main agricultural industries (sugar and banana) in Jamaica we
would see clearly the key role these sectors play as an axis on which economic activities revolve and
their contribution to rural development.
In the EC's paper on Agriculture's Contribution to Rural Development, pages 14 and 15,
paragraphs 13 and 16 capture some of the concerns of small island economies which are dependent on
a few crops and have limited opportunities to diversify in or outside of farming activities due to
limited skills and geographical constraints such as remoteness and difficulty of terrain.
Size and remoteness however do not mean that farmers in small economies like Jamaica do
not react to rapid economic decline in the agriculture sector, as do their counterparts in Europe and
other parts of the world.
The threat to social and political stability due to major negative changes in the agricultural
sector is therefore a shared non-trade concern (page 16, paragraphs 25 and 28).
Jamaica, in the formulation of rules on agricultural reform, also identifies with the view that
certain flexibility is needed especially for developing countries to allow for the promotion of rural
development and not just social and political but also economic stability.G/AG/NG/W/86
Page 2
The Food Security Paper by Japan and the Republic of Korea essentially covers the concerns
by countries for access to basic food to meet the dietary needs of one's population.  Paragraphs 39 and
40 on page 24 make the linkages between this non-trade concern and trade concerns and points to a
situation where food security could be held hostage due to conflict of interests on non-trade concerns
among exporting and importing countries.  These are the points raised under section 4 and pages 28-29.
A desirable International Framework to ensure Food Security is sound basis for further
deliberations within the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture.
With respect to the paper on developing countries and NTC by Mauritius, Jamaica supports
the views expressed there regarding the role the agricultural sector plays in the economy of a countryand views expoused in paragraph 12 (page 44) on the necessity to deal with trade liberalization to
ensure a meaningful and equitable outcome.
In fact, one of the challenges that Jamaica has seen and experienced within the WTO is how
to marry developmental objectives expressed in th e preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement, with that
of trade liberalization.
In the paper by Norway dealing with flexibility in national policy to address NTC, Jamaica
believes the suggestions given for consideration in section 5, pages 63-64 are worthy of further
development and some of these are synonymous with positions already expressed in a number ofproposals.
Jamaica shares the view that there is a need to define flexibility so it does not become a tool
for further protectionist or trade distorting measures.
Jamaica observes that one dimension not fully reflected in six NTC papers discussed in
Norway relates to acute vulnerability of the agricultural sector as a result of trade liberalization
measures undertaken autonomously under structural adjustment programmes.  This has already had
severe repercussions on the farming agricultural sector.  Further liberalization aggravates the domestic
situation.
In closing, Jamaica reiterates its support for the elements outlined in this document, and in the
process of examining the six papers in more detail and concurs with views expressed that they should
form the basis for further discussions (while they were not tabled as negotiating positions).  We note
that NTCs are also touched on in  the CAIRNS proposals G/AG/NG/W/35.
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