WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues

The objective of this paper is to present a survey of trade issues in agriculture from the perspective of developing countries. Developing countries are a large percentage of the World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, and agriculture is critical for their economic growth, poverty alleviation, f...

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Autores principales: Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio, Robinson, Sherman, Thomas, Marcelle, Yanoma, Yukitsugu
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2002
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156799
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author Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio
Robinson, Sherman
Thomas, Marcelle
Yanoma, Yukitsugu
author_browse Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio
Robinson, Sherman
Thomas, Marcelle
Yanoma, Yukitsugu
author_facet Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio
Robinson, Sherman
Thomas, Marcelle
Yanoma, Yukitsugu
author_sort Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The objective of this paper is to present a survey of trade issues in agriculture from the perspective of developing countries. Developing countries are a large percentage of the World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, and agriculture is critical for their economic growth, poverty alleviation, food security, and environmental sustainability. First, this paper identifies trends in production, consumption, and trade of food and agriculture over the last decades. Some of the significant developments include the emergence of oilseeds and fruits and vegetables as the main exports from developing countries, replacing traditional exports such as sugar, coffee and cocoa. The trends also show a worsening of developing countries’ net trade position due in part to income growth and population pressures, but also to economic policies in general, and trade policies in particular, both in developing and industrialized countries. Second, this paper focuses on some of the main development issues linked to the WTO agricultural negotiations. The objective is to align the different legal components and subcomponents of the negotiations under the Agreement on Agriculture, with developing countries’ final objectives of sustainable economic growth, poverty alleviation, and food security. This paper concludes that the problems for developing countries are not legal constraints under the AoA, but the lack of financial and human resources and institutional capabilities. To link negotiations to their development goals, developing countries must consider the issue of funding. Finally, developing countries, most of which have embarked in unilateral liberalization over the last decade, should ask that the higher levels of protection in industrialized countries be reduced first.
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publishDate 2002
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spelling CGSpace1567992025-11-06T06:32:50Z WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio Robinson, Sherman Thomas, Marcelle Yanoma, Yukitsugu wto agriculture economic aspects developing countries food consumption food production trade exports economic policies trade policies The objective of this paper is to present a survey of trade issues in agriculture from the perspective of developing countries. Developing countries are a large percentage of the World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, and agriculture is critical for their economic growth, poverty alleviation, food security, and environmental sustainability. First, this paper identifies trends in production, consumption, and trade of food and agriculture over the last decades. Some of the significant developments include the emergence of oilseeds and fruits and vegetables as the main exports from developing countries, replacing traditional exports such as sugar, coffee and cocoa. The trends also show a worsening of developing countries’ net trade position due in part to income growth and population pressures, but also to economic policies in general, and trade policies in particular, both in developing and industrialized countries. Second, this paper focuses on some of the main development issues linked to the WTO agricultural negotiations. The objective is to align the different legal components and subcomponents of the negotiations under the Agreement on Agriculture, with developing countries’ final objectives of sustainable economic growth, poverty alleviation, and food security. This paper concludes that the problems for developing countries are not legal constraints under the AoA, but the lack of financial and human resources and institutional capabilities. To link negotiations to their development goals, developing countries must consider the issue of funding. Finally, developing countries, most of which have embarked in unilateral liberalization over the last decade, should ask that the higher levels of protection in industrialized countries be reduced first. 2002 2024-10-24T12:45:33Z 2024-10-24T12:45:33Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156799 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Diaz-Bonilla, Eugenio; Robinson, Sherman; Thomas, Marcelle; Yanoma, Yukitsugu. 2002. WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues. TMD Discussion Paper 81. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156799
spellingShingle wto
agriculture
economic aspects
developing countries
food consumption
food production
trade
exports
economic policies
trade policies
Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio
Robinson, Sherman
Thomas, Marcelle
Yanoma, Yukitsugu
WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues
title WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues
title_full WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues
title_fullStr WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues
title_full_unstemmed WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues
title_short WTO, agriculture, and developing countries: a survey of issues
title_sort wto agriculture and developing countries a survey of issues
topic wto
agriculture
economic aspects
developing countries
food consumption
food production
trade
exports
economic policies
trade policies
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/156799
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AT yanomayukitsugu wtoagricultureanddevelopingcountriesasurveyofissues