ABSTRACT
The marginalisation of developing-country farmers in the multilateral trading system is often described as a major driver of persistent worldwide poverty. The Doha Round of trade liberalisation, which was launched in 2001 under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO), aims to support development and address the marginalisation of least-developed countries (LDCs) in international trade through trade liberalisation, notably in agriculture (WTO 2001, par. 3).2 Given the stakes for developing countries, the Doha Round has been described as a ‘development round’ and as a major undertaking to alleviate poverty in the world. The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) also endorsed the Doha initiative, emphasising its potential for developing countries (United Nations 2002, par. 47[a]).
