High food prices help new push for WTO deal-EU

Soaring world food prices should help a revived bid to clinch a global trade deal this year because they ease the concerns of farmers in rich countries, the EU's trade chief said on Tuesday.

"I think it helps and I think we have seen that in the agriculture negotiations in Geneva," Peter Mandelson said, referring to talks at the World Trade Organisation over the Doha round of negotiations for a world trade deal.

"I think the consequences are that the arguments in favour of border protection and market price support are not what they were when we started out on the long Doha journey" in 2001.

Food prices have hit record highs in recent months, pressured by factors such as climate change, emerging country demand, demand for biofuels and population growth.