WTO Disciplines on Agricultural Support: Seeking a Fair Basis for Trade
Author: David Orden (Editor), David Blandford (Editor), Tim Josling (Editor) & 0 more
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Edition: 1st edition
Publication Date: 2011-05-09
Language: English
Paperback: 520 pages
ISBN-10: 1107005442
ISBN-13: 9781107005440
Book Description Farm support is contentious in international negotiations. This in-depth assessment of the legal compliance and economic evaluation issues raised by the WTO Agreement on Agriculture presents consistent support data and forward-looking projections for eight developed and developing countries (EU, US, Japan, Norway, Brazil, China, India, Philippines), using original estimates where official notifications are not available. Variations over time in notified support in some cases reflect real policy changes; others merely reflect shifts in how countries represent their measures. The stalled Doha negotiations presage significantly tighter constraints for developed countries that provide the highest support, but loopholes will persist. Developing countries face fewer constraints and their trade-distorting farm support can rise. Pressure points and key remaining issues if a Doha agreement is reached are evaluated. Vigilant monitoring for compliance of farm support with WTO commitments will be required to lessen its negative consequences whether or not the Doha Round is concluded.
Review
“Governments, non-governmental organisations, researchers and journalists need measures to compare the levels and types of support to agriculture across countries. All these working professionals should find this book extremely useful, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to colleagues and students.” Luca Salvatici, European Review of Agricultural Economics
“At its core, this book makes a compelling argument for the value of transparency … By reading this book, students, researchers, and policy practitioners will gain a deeper appreciation of the role of transparency and will be more sophisticated consumers of WTO notified information in the future.” World Trade Review
Book Description
Developed and key developing countries heavily support their farmers. Can the WTO reduce the worldwide harm these unilateral policies cause?
About the Author
David Orden is Professor and Director of the Global Issues Initiative (GII) of the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is also Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), specializing in domestic farm policy and international trade.
David Blandford is Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Economics at Pennsylvania State University, where his research focuses on the effectiveness and efficiency of domestic and international policies for agriculture and natural resources.
Tim Josling is Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. His research focuses on agricultural policy and food policy in industrialized nations, international trade in agricultural and food products, and the process of economic integration.
