Agriculture still occupies 90 % of the world population, particularly the poorest. Trade liberalisation, erratic market fluctuations, agri-business measures harmful to small farmers, have all combined to create a dysfunctional global system that has not only failed to reduce poverty but has even created new problems such as uncontrolled migrations to already overpopulated suburban zones in developing countries.

Bridge Initiative started this mediation in 2004, from a very narrow point of potential agreement: the need to control agricultural export subsidies. After three meetings, an agreement was found on several points, just before the WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong.