The experience of many developing countries with the treaty involves a situation where huge claims to legal monopoly have been placed on their genetic resources by TNCs. The South has been pushing arguments over the legality of such patents raising ethical and religious concerns. For example, Islamic legal theory contains at least one major stumbling block for the implementation of intellectual property regimes. Other developing countries have encountered although not necessarily completely solved this problem. Developing countries also are concerned at the rate of tariff reductions.
Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in the Kenyan economy.
East Asia however is divided on whether to support further liberalisation of agricultural markets. Northeast Asia, particularly Japan and South Korea, are opposed to more liberalisation because it would mean the extinction of their small rice farmers. They want broader and faster liberalisation of agricultural markets through increased market access, an end to export subsidies and a decrease in production subsidies in the North. The Southeast Asian position is also seen as serving the interests of organised lobbies of cash crop exporters and processors like Malaysian palm oil plantations, Philippine coconut oil exporters and the Bangkok-based middlemen in the Thai Rice industry. Other issues that should be high on the list of developing countries include the Dispute Settlement Process and the anti- dumping agreement.