The World Trade Organisation provides an objective international trade framework which is of great assistance to small countries like New Zealand.

That was the message Federated Farmers' president Dr William Rolleston, also vice president of the World Farmers' Organisation, delivered in his address overnight to a WTO Public Forum in Geneva.

Federated Farmers' President Dr William Rolleston is also vice president of the World Farmers' Organisation. Photo: Supplied.

'New Zealand is a small country, which means our political influence bilaterally can be limited. Without WTO rules, disputes are more likely to be settled on bargaining power rather than the evidence.

'New Zealand supports and values a rules-based multilateral trading system which means agriculture market access issues can be addressed and there are disciplines around the use of non-tariff trade barriers. The rules-based system has provided New Zealand with the opportunity to trade and the business confidence to invest.”

William also praised WTO agreements such as the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, which are based on science and have given New Zealand the tools for market access. 'For it is science, not self-interest, which lies at the heart of a good and fair system.

'New Zealand has used principles contained in WTO agreements, including the SPS Agreement, to form the basis of our bilateral and regional Free Trade Agreement market access negotiations. Today we trade with around 200 markets.”

William also has concerns over those stalling the Trans Pacific Partnership.

'Our wealthy developed world partners need to explain why they oppose elimination of tariffs on dairy and beef within a commercially meaningful time frame, when countries with real food security concerns like China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and others have been able to eliminate tariffs on the same items within three, five and a maximum of 12 years.

'Federated Farmers has been mystified why late comers to the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement joined the negotiations if they did not want free trade in agriculture. Our suggestion has been that they step aside, let the willing complete a high quality deal and join when they are truly ready for free trade.

'Poor quality deals can be used against you in the future so the challenge is to ensure that deals remain high quality when it comes to agriculture.” For a copy of Dr Rolleston's speech to the Federated Farmers website.