Huligamma and Big Mac
Does trade liberalisation affect investments in children's health and education? There is growing evidence that children from families denied livelihood security, and deprived of the most basic social benefits, are forced into child labour and a precarious existence in urban centres
A looming public health crisis?
With effect from January 1, 2005, India has had to amend its patent law and introduce product patenting in pharmaceuticals. This is likely to reduce access to affordable medicines, especially for the poor. But why has India failed to exploit the existing flexibilities in the TRIPS Agreement that could have protected the public interest?
The struggle for affordable medicines
India, which amended its patent laws for TRIPS-compliance in 2005, introduced a clause to ensure that pharmaceuticals did not block the entry of low-cost generic drugs. A year ago this clause blocked Novartis' patent application for its anti-cancer drug Gleevec. Now, in a major case that will have a profound effect on the affordability of essential medicines in India, Novartis is challenging this unique Indian provision
More media, less democracy
This article explores the implications of attempts by the World Trade Organisation to include audiovisual media, especially broadcast programmes, into the General Agreement in Trade and Services (GATS) and thereby promote international free trade in audiovisual services
Marginalising the marginalised
The WTO erodes women's right not only to the security of a regular meal, but also involvement in decision-making around food production and agricultural development
The alternative: Community autonomy over food and seeds
In a globalised, mechanised, transnational-controlled industrial food and seed regime, the Deccan Development Society's women's sanghams have demonstrated that it is possible to set up autonomous, localised food and seed systems
Trade liberalisation: The new threat to Kerala's fishermen
Trade liberalisation has had a severe impact on Kerala's fisherfolk. With no organised lobby to fight for their rights, the fisherfolk have been fighting among themselves, leaving the wealth of the sea to be plundered by middlemen and the global marine industry. But this August, traditional and mechanised fishermen across caste and communal divides, came together to fight the 62-day ban on monsoon trawling