Swaminathan for new trade ethic

TOKYO, APRIL 10. Eminent agricultural scientist, Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, today said if global trade is to be the means of economic prosperity, ``we will have to develop and foster a new trade ethic.'' The new ethic has to combine the dimensions of equity and employment with those of competitive efficiency, economics and ecology, he told the Tokyo Foreign Correspondents' Club.

Unfortunately, he added, heavy debt and debt-servicing prevent developing countries from investing in rural and market infrastructure which can help small scale producers gain in competitive efficiency. Dr. Swaminathan said Mahatma Gandhi wanted every Indian to learn to earn his daily bread ``through technologies based on the principle of production by masses'' while the world trade agreement was based on competitive efficiency and free trade. Free trade ceases to be fair when the products of mass production technologies compete with those produced by masses. Stating that there was no level playing ground in this area, he said ``we have to pitch in this battle the economics of scale and money against the economics of Livelihood security and basic human needs.''

- PTI

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Section  : International
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