Global Trade

Conservation International is working to protect endangered species in Guyana, but in practice may have fomented conflict between tribes there. The Troubled Marriage of Environmentalists and Oil Companies Carmelo Ruiz-Marrero reports on CI's questionable partnerships. Read More

The Iraqi port of Umm Qasr -- once a crown jewel of the Iraqi economy -- is now a symbol of a new era of foreign domination. It's run by SSA, a politically-connected firm with an ugly history of anti-labor policies. Read More

To the Mapuche Indians in southern Argentina, the Italian clothing manufacturer Benetton is the newest conquistador in 10,000 years of land struggles in Patagonia. Listen online here via FSRN! Read More

BAE Systems has been accused of operating a $33.4 million slush fund to procure prostitutes, sports cars, and other enticements in connection with the biggest transaction in UK history -- the Al-Yamamah arms-for-oil deal with the Saudi royal family. Listen online here via FSRN! Read More

Bolivia has been rocked by protests against a proposed gas pipeline to be built by Pacific LNG. The consortium is made up of notorious British and Spanish multinationals, including BP and Repsol-YPF. Read More

Declining Wages and Loss of Jobs and Labor Protections Draws Attention of Lawmakers As the United States Negotiates More Trade Agreements (Oakland, CA)-In an open challenge to the United States Trade Representative and the Bush administration's economic policies, a delegation of America's working poor from all walks of life will expose the harsh reality behind free trade at a congressional briefing, sponsored by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, on June 12, 9:00-11:30 a.m. at 2168 Rayburn House Building, Washington, DC. This briefing will be webcast live at: http://www.foodfirst.org Read More

Between June 23-25, 2003, the USDA, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department will host a conference on Agricultural Science and Technology in Sacramento. For developing countries, this means biotechnology. Three ministers from every developing country (except Cuba, and those countries astride the so-called 'axis of evil') will be invited. Add on a press corps in the hundreds, and it's clear that, internationally at least, this is something of a big deal. Here are some reasons to mobilize against it. Read More

The Group of Eightmembers yesterday committed themselves to concluding the stalled Doha world trade round on schedule by the end of next year, but hinted at no shifts in negotiating positions that could lead to progress in the talks. Read More

BUENOS AIRES-- Leaders of Protestant churches of Latin America, tired of alleviating social problems that they blame on neo-liberal free market policies, have decided to advance their own alternative proposals to governments and the multilateral lending institutions. Read More

Factory farms are expanding into developing countries, bringing these nations a wealth of environmental and public health concerns, finds a new paper by the Worldwatch Institute. Read More