India returns empty handed from Nairobi Ministerial with ECA subsidy phase-out

(Hindu Business Line, NewDelhi, 20 December 2015) The World Trade Organisation’s Ministerial in Nairobi failed to deliver anything concrete for India and other developing countries in the areas of food security and farmer protection. Worse, it has saddled them with the burden of doing away with all export subsidies in the next eight years, and all but ended the development framework of the Doha Round within which negotiations have been taking place. There was no breakthrough in areas of food, farmer security; as export subsidies are to be phased out by 2023.