Negotiations at the Doha Round of WTO trade negotiations collapsed last week amid disagreement for rules for international trade and agriculture. The round was labelled the "development round", which would help developing countries to emerge from poverty through trade. From the onset the Doha Round has been plagued by disagreement reflected most notably in the fall of the talks at the WTO's fifth ministerial meeting in Cancun in 2003 when developing country alliances said they would cease negotiating if the US and EU did not move forward on promises already made - most notably regarding agricultural subsidies.

The Oakland Institute, a California-based policy think-tank, call the collapse of the Doha a victory for small farmers, labourers and social movements in the South suggesting that more liberal agricultural markets, tariff removal and limited state intervention have increased food insecurity in the developing world by turning less developed countries into food importers. The WTO says the round isn't over yet.

To read the media release of the Oakland Institute, please click here.