VOA标准英语2011--Trade Barriers Impede Food Security

Trade Barriers Impede¹ Food Security

When the food crisis began several years ago, with soaring prices and supply shortages, governments agreed to invest much more in agriculture. And with predictions of a global population of nine billion by 2050, the need for more food has become increasingly urgent. But some say food security cannot be achieved unless trade barriers are removed.
The Global Harvest Initiative says improving food and agricultural trade flows in the coming decades will help counter the effects of changing weather patterns, population shifts and limited natural resources. The initiative began in 2009 with a partnership² of big business, including Archer³ Daniels Midland Company, DuPont, John Deere and Monsanto.
"Trade is actually very closely linked to global hunger and food security. And I think that it's something that needs to be talked about more and more. The way that it really plays in is that markets are a big part of either the problem or the solution in addressing hunger and food security. Not only are they really the way that food moves from places of supply to places of demand, but they also play a big role in the decisions that farmers make about how much they should produce and what they should produce and when," said Katrin Kuhlman is director of TransFarm Africa, also a member of the Global Harvest initiative.
TransFarm Africa is part of the Aspen Institute, which says its core mission is to foster enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue. Kuhlman said dropping trade barriers opens markets and gives farmers more incentives⁴ to produce.
"Farmers, just like any other business people, will decide what to produce based on what they see the market to be. And if they don't see that the market is open they won't produce as much. So, it factors really directly into productivity as well. So it's not only the channel to move things back and forth⁵, but it's also impacting what farmers will actually decide to produce," she said.
Easier said than done
But negotiating trade deals is often difficult. The Doha Round of World Trade Organization trade talks began in 2001. The goal is to lower trade barriers, but progress has been slow. There are major differences between rich and developing nations, including the use of agricultural subsidies⁶.
Kuhlman says a different approach may be needed to resolve some of those differences.
"Part of what we need to do is sort of take ourselves back to the barriers themselves and to the investments and opportunities that those barriers are impeding⁷. And if we do that instead of sometimes starting with the big negotiating round or the big agreement, I think that we'll find that we can come up with different solutions for addressing the barriers and more practical and tangible⁸ ways that we can get at them," she said.
She added that a demand-driven approach can help remove trade barriers.
"Very often the process itself will not work unless you have a way to test it. So countries will put in place different laws and regulations, but those don't really come to life until you have an actual business that's going in and saying here's what we're trying to do. We have this opportunity that's being impacted by this barrier and we need to find a way to remove it. And then, I think, you see things start to change," said Kuhlman.
This means possibly removing trade barriers on a case-by-case basis.
Own backyard
The head of TransFarm Africa said developing nations should not only take part in global talks, but also take a closer look at any trade barriers in their own markets.
In places like sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the market that's really most critical in some ways is the regional market. Countries need to do things within their own borders to remove barriers to trade. But the regional markets are so important in sub-Saharan Africa and without finding ways to really facilitate trade in those regional markets, looking ahead to global markets is almost 10 steps removed. But really focusing on things regionally will open up trade all along the chain," she said.
At the same time, Kuhlman said if rich nations are serious about dealing⁹ with food security, they also need to make their markets as open as possible to developing nations.
How important achieving food security?
"I don't think that there's a way to do it without addressing barriers to markets and without making trade flow more freely. And I think that we really are at a stage right now where we need to think very, very seriously about how to do this," she said.
Business, she said, should be part of the process.
In April, World Trade Organization members pledged to find a way out of the trade talks deadlock¹⁰. WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy told members to think hard about "the consequences of throwing away ten years of solid multilateral work." He called on members to "use the upcoming weeks to talk to each other and build bridges." Lamy is scheduled to give an update on the situation on May 31st.

1 impede   

v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止

参考例句：

• One shouldn't impede other's progress.一个人不应该妨碍他人进步。
• The muddy roads impede our journey.我们的旅游被泥泞的道路阻挠了。

2 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

3 archer   

n.射手，弓箭手

参考例句：

• The archer strung his bow and aimed an arrow at the target.弓箭手拉紧弓弦将箭瞄准靶子。
• The archer's shot was a perfect bull's-eye.射手的那一箭正中靶心。

4 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 impeding   

a.(尤指坏事)即将发生的，临近的

参考例句：

• Fallen rock is impeding the progress of rescue workers. 坠落的石头阻滞了救援人员的救援进程。
• Is there sufficient room for the kiosk and kiosk traffic without impeding other user traffic? 该环境下是否有足够的空间来摆放信息亭？信息亭是否会妨碍交通或者行走？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

10 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。