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Trade ministers have begun talks to revive efforts to strike a global trade deal this week. Since it began in November 2001, the so-called Doha Development Round of negotiations has made barely any progress, as countries have failed to agree on major issues, namely, cuts to farm subsidies, industrial tariff reduction and liberalisation in the service sector.

Missed deadlines are not new in the Doha Round, though this time the rising concerns over food security and rising commodity prices should help push World Trade Organisation (WTO) members into exerting more political will to strike an agreement.

Some years ago, countries lacked the enthusiasm needed to push the Doha Round of trade talks forward thanks partly to the proliferation of bilateral trade agreements which more or less undermine the effort to create a global trade agreement.

However, recent concerns over food security and the distorted commodity trade have made the agenda of the Doha Round of trade talks relevant. The WTO's requirement that farm subsidies be cut would ensure fairer agricultural commodity trade for farmers in developing countries, such as African nations, as it would reduce farm subsidies in rich countries.

Thus far, developing countries have been pressing for lower farm subsidies and increased agricultural tariffs in the developed world. Industrialised states are demanding in return that developing countries make their markets more accessible to imported services and manufactured goods.

These issues will be on the table during the ministers' meeting this week in Geneva, where developing and developed nations will be able to sort their differences out on an equal footing.

The week will provide a good opportunity for members to discuss export competition, in-quota tariffs, special products and special safeguard mechanisms for farm products to ensure that the agreement would be acceptable to all members.

For instance, members will discuss the list of agricultural products that would be subject to special protection. Other issues to be discussed include overall trade-distorting domestic support and the market access of farm goods. Members will also discuss how to fairly manage the tariff quota to ensure that they have opened the wider and fairer markets to farm exporting countries.

Developing countries will discuss shielding some products from normal tariff cuts to protect local farmers. They will discuss the percentage of products that should be exempt from normal tariffs and the level of the cuts.

The other issue concerns a special safeguard mechanism for developing countries. This safeguard would allow developing countries to raise duties temporarily to deal with import surges and price slumps. But some believe that this measure may hamper international trade. Therefore, the mechanism should be governed by fair trade rules.

For the meeting to be a success, the WTO's 152 members will have to agree on "modalities", which include items such as how to cut tariffs, enlarge quotas and reduce subsidies and support, along with flexibility in dealing with the sensitive points of each member.

WTO Director General Pascal Lamy has argued that a Doha deal could inject between US$50 billion (Bt1.6 trillion) and $100 billion each year to the world economy and be of enormous benefit to poor countries.

There's no better way to encourage farmers to improve their output than to guarantee them a fair market. It is widely agreed that fair trade rules would eradicate poverty.

The ministers should exert their political will to conclude the deal and show the world community that international fair trade is not only desirable, but possible.