2003 will be a crucial year for agricultural negotiations.
August will see the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun during which member states will not only spell out their agricultural commitments, but also make trade-offs between sectors, since nothing can be finalised until agreement has been reached on all aspects.
At the same time, under the Cotonou Agreements, the ACP countries and the European Union have been negotiating since September 2002 on a total overhaul of EU-ACP trade relations including the institution of free trade agreements (or economic partnership agreements - EPAs).
These negotiations are sure to give rise to conflicts between states, without civil society and in particular farmers¿ professional organisations having any positive influence on the discussions. There is a danger that this might lead to a North-South face-off focalised on market access and totally disregarding other aspects vital to economic and social development..