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Book Title: Research Handbook on the WTO Agriculture Agreement
Editor(s): McMahon, A. Joseph; Desta, Geboye Melaku
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN (hard cover): 9781848441163
Section: Chapter 4
Section Title: The Impact of WTO Agricultural Trade Rules on Food Security and Development: An Examination of Proposed Additional Flexibilities for Developing Countries
Author(s): Matthews, Alan
Number of pages: 29
Extract:
4 The impact of WTO agricultural trade
rules on food security and development:
an examination of proposed additional
flexibilities for developing countries
Alan Matthews
I. INTRODUCTION
Disciplines on agricultural trade measures and trade-distorting
domestic subsidies to agriculture were included for the first time in the
Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) which came into
force for WTO member countries in 1995. Since then, there has been a
continuing debate over whether these disciplines are appropriate for
developing countries seeking to promote their agricultural develop-
ment and food security (De Schutter, 2009; Diaz-Bonilla and Ron,
2010; Gonzalez, 2002). Criticisms range from arguments that the AoA
rules are lop-sided and essentially favour developed countries which
can continue to heavily support their agricultural sectors, that they
constrain the ability of developing countries to pursue their
agricultural development and food security policies, and even that
they undermine the right to food of developing countries. There is a
widespread perception that developing countries got a raw deal in the
AoA. It is certainly the case that the extent of the additional market
access offered by developed countries was less than was hoped for
(Ingco, 1995).
Based on their experience of the implementation of the WTO
agreements, developing countries prepared a list of implementation
issues in 1999 aimed at removing the serious imbalances and inequities
they perceived in these agreements. When the Doha Round of trade
negotiations was launched in 2001, all countries agreed that a primary
objective was to foster development in ...
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URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ELECD/2012/116.html