Good questions. I have only brief answers, from the field at the moment. In terms of measuring dumping internationally, the measures are poor. The WTO has no consistent and easy to apply measure of dumping, except in obvious cases in which a country is exporting at prices that are clearly below those charged domestically or to other export markets. See current EU dairy exports for a good example. The standard I use – exporting at prices below production costs – requires widely accepted and reliable data on what constitutes production costs. Some NGOs have proposed the development of such a standard, but it has not been taken up.

As for shifting production toward biofuels, be careful. Many are actually not sustainably produced, and land use can take production away from needed food production in developing countries. The key, I believe, is to shift away from overproduction in the global North by more careful government efforts to balance supply and demand, keeping prices above dumping levels, and at the same time to stimulate food production in developing countries with a focus on meeting domestic demand rather than relying so heavily on imports. New attention to public investment in smallholder food production in developing countries is very welcome.

Tim Wise

1. What can be said about the extent of agricultural dumping globally?
Are there any databases, statistics or numbers that may indicate/ give an estimate of the extent of overproduction and dumping,
and the type of products in volume and in value, as well as figures showing the consequences in different developing countries?

2. On the other hand: The newspapers often write about shortages of food and agricultural production capacity. Is it possible to turn / change the production,
away from the overproduction of food that is dumped,
and instead produce goods the world needs more of, such as biofuels?
What are the obstacles to this? Is it:
a) Lack of competitiveness: Are biofuels more expensive than oil for the consumer,
but generate lower revenue for the farmer, compared to other agricultural products? Is it possible to change this by subsidizing biofuels?
b) Inertia / friction in production and in the markets.
c) The lack of global coordination and global governance.

I Would very much appreciate a reply.
All the best
Kaare