Email About Fallowing

From: Brett Bricker [mailto:bricker312@gmail.com]
Sent: 12 December 2008 00:18
To: Miller, John
Subject: WTO and Cotton

In reference to your recent Doha article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122878482492690101.html?mod=googlenews_wsj), I have a couple of questions:

While it seems politically infeasible for the US to cut a substantial portion of cotton subsidies, do you think there is anything else the US could do to appease Brazil and other countries that are fighting against our domestic subsidies? For example, the WorldWatch Institute has written that the Federal Government could institute a procurement policy in which the government would purchase excess subsidized cotton to return cotton prices to what they would be absent government intervention. Do you think the international reaction to this would be enough to overcome opposition to subsidies, or is something more symbolic necessary? Thank you very much for your time.

-Brett Bricker, University of Kansas

Hi Brett,

Thanks for the note. The world watch institute idea would satisfy trading partners, but I suspect it would be expensive, and the cotton farmers might not go for it. It would expose the absurdity of paying farmers to produce less. right now, cotton is one of the hurdles to doha, but it's one among many.

all the best,

John.