Trade Briefing

Introduction - WTO - Poverty - Environment - Conclusion

So what is the problem with global trade and the environment?

The world is split between the North - US, Japan and the EU - and the poorer, less economically developed countries of the South - Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Poverty is the major cause of environmental damage in many countries of the South. Global trading patterns and World Trade Organisation (WTO) trading rules continue to cause worsening poverty in the South, and the divide between rich and poor is widening every day.

Poverty poses a major risk to the earth, as a cause of current and future environmental degradation. Although environmental issues are moving further up the agenda in the North (does Mr Bush know?), for many countries in the South the main concern is economic development to deal with crushing poverty. Environmental concerns are an unaffordable luxury, and as development can cause a great deal of environmental damage, the way poorer countries develop is crucial.

The current trade rules imposed by the WTO are leading to greater poverty in the South and therefore greater environmental damage, only a fundamental change in the system can reverse the damage.

What is the World Trade Organisation?