UNCTAD XII : Agreement reached on Accra Accord (PRIV)
(Martin Khor, Accra)
A draft of the Accra Accord, which is the title of the main outcome of UNCTAD XII, was agreed on by a Committee of the Whole late on 24 April night and made available to delegations on 25 April morning.

UNCTAD XII : NGOs against a WTO Ministerial in May (PRIV)
(Martin Khor, Accra)
About forty civil society organizations attending the UNCTAD XII have issued a joint statement calling on the WTO members not to proceed with a mini-Ministerial meeting in May but instead to put the Doha negotiations "on the back burner" until a new US Administration and Congress are established.

Development : Farmers, consumers squeezed by middlemen (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
With global grain stocks at record lows and soaring prices for agricultural products, new attention is being paid to which farming methods are best poised to meet global food needs.

Latin America : Can rising food prices help small family farms? (PRIV)
(IPS, Santiago)
Rising global food prices could represent an opportunity for the development of small-scale family farming if national governments provide effective support as part of long-term policies, say experts from various agencies.

Africa : Conflicting views over EPAs in French government (PRIV)
(IPS, Paris)
As it prepares to assume the presidency of the European Union in July, one of the main issues on France's agenda will be the economic partnership agreements (EPAs). But with less than three months to go, France's official position concerning EPAs is still surprisingly unclear.

Malawi : "If EPAs are so good, why force us to sign?" (PRIV)
(IPS, Lilongwe)
While the European Union (EU) has wanted a conclusion to the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) as soon as possible, the Malawian government has been staving off a deal.

Afghanistan : Global emergency triggers food riots (PRIV)
(IPS, Kabul)
In the teeming, dense flour bazaars of Kabul, it's hard not to miss the anger.