The Cairns Group is an international special interest group focused on agricultural export processes, formed in Cairns, Australia in 1986. It aims to eliminate export subsidies and achieve equitable market access for agricultural products. It has over 19 member countries and has worked with the World Trade Organization on agricultural issues.
Originally formed in the city of Cairns, in North Queensland, Australia, the Cairns group is an international special interest group focused on the agricultural export process. Currently, more than nineteen countries are members of the Cairns Group, including countries such as Canada, Uruguay and South Africa. It is generally understood that the Cairns group came together as a means of expressing opposition to the inequalities that were perceived as an integral part of commodity export practices during the mid to late 20th century.
The inaugural meeting of the Cairns group was convened and initiated by the Government of Australia. Part of the idea behind the meeting was to build on the work already done by several countries in Southeast Asia to address common export practices that appeared to favor some selected countries over others. Held in August 1986, the Cairns group became a functional entity and also conquered several countries. Over time, the organization expanded to Africa, South America and North America.
Several countries that are not official members of the Cairns Group routinely send observers to the group’s meetings. Organizations with similar goals also often find support from the Cairns Group, with the formation of temporary alliances to address a specific agricultural issue in a particular country or region of the world. Generally, the Cairns Group supports all efforts to eliminate export subsidies and work to achieve equitable market access for the export of agricultural products, minus any favoritism to any country or group of countries.
Over the years, the Cairns Group has emerged as an organization capable of working with individual countries and the World Trade Organization on issues affecting the agricultural well-being of various countries, as well as commodity export practices. According to some sources, the Cairns Group is credited with including agriculture on the Uruguay Round agenda and the eventual ratification of the Agreement on Agriculture.
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