Trade As If People and Earth Matter: A Working Document on Alternatives,
seeks to contribute to the emerging dialogue on a new framework for trade that holds the promise of promoting just and sustainable development in the countries and areas where it is most needed. Trade policies and agreements must put people first! They should further genuine social and economic development for our neighbors around the world while preserving and creating good jobs here at home. They must support – not hinder – governments in adopting policies to protect public health and the natural environment. Trade policies must strike a balance between creating a predictable structure for international trade and preserving the policy space necessary for governments to foster and secure economic, social and human development for all their citizens.

Brief report on our work with partners in Africa and the EU which calls
for African governments and the EU to respect human dignity, heed the
calls of the poor and marginalized, and craft an Economic Partnership
Agreement that gives priority to authentic human development over
corporate profits.

"The 2002 Farm Bill is set to expire this year and debate on a new Farm Bill is heating up in the U.S. Congress, drawing both domestic and international attention. Given the scope and reach of Farm Bill legislation, this is an opportunity to change the course of U.S. agriculture and draft meaningful legislation for U.S. family farmers and rural communities and their international counterparts. This article will discuss the current direction of U.S. agriculture policy, the interaction with international trade rules and current proposals for the 2007 Farm Bill, contrasting those that seek to comply with trade obligations and those that present an alternative to the current system. "

Many involved in the debate around the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) come to the table promoting the idea that the agreement will, as the agreement's preamble states, "create new opportunities for economic and social development in the region." But is that really the case?"

"In her recent analysis ""Incorporating Gender Considerations for the Designation of Special Products in WTO Agriculture Negotiations,"  Maria Pia Hernandez, Coordinator of the IGTN's Geneva office, argues that" trade policies require an approach that recognizes the interconnections between trade and other macro and micro level policies, which involve gender relations, human development and socioeconomic processes"" especially when it comes to agricultural products.

"Some organizations like FAO have started talking about the 'feminization of agriculture' in the developing world, based on the facts that women represent 66% of the economically active population working in the sector and are identified as major providers of food and income for their families and communities in rural areas," she writes. ""Nonetheless, statistics have also demonstrated that women tend to be disproportionately poor and disadvantaged; representing over 70% of the poorest global population with low level of ownership, control and access to productive and economic resources, assets and markets."

Read her full analysis for more on how trade policies affect special products and have a real impact on women's lives all over the globe."

This document examines the relationship between gender, sustainable development and trade and highlights the essential role of women in ensuring socially sustainable development. It focuses on the consequences of trade policies such as the AoA and concludes by recognizing that sustainable development is neither a choice nor a tradable commodity.