The annual consumption of Coco-Cola per capita in the regional markets mentioned

As China’s vast interior gets richer, Grenda Lee, Coco-Cola’s Shanghai-based director of external affairs, finds herself dreaming about tapping the country’s rural market. Chinese peasants account for roughly 70 percent of China’s 1.3 billion people, but on average each drinks only three Coke products a year. That compares with some 60 drinks consumed annually in Shanghai and Beijing, 150 in Hong Kong and 420 in the United States. With so many customers at stake, potential profits take on epic scale.

The disappointing ministerial conference that concluded in Cancun, Mexico in September will have many ramifications, but sadly the most significant of them will be its impact on poor countries. A more open and equitable trading system would provide them with an important tool in alleviating poverty and raising their levels of economic development.