Agriculture in the New Global Economy examines the extent to which the political economy of agriculture and the food chain is being transformed by globalisation. This book highlights the important changes that have taken place in the agriculture and food system with the spread of globalisation to this traditionally local sector. Structural change and emerging technologies have contributed to this transformation, which has extended to the political environment in which agriculture operates. The authors identify four paradigms that have characterised the governance of agriculture: a traditional dependent-agriculture paradigm; a neo-liberal competitive paradigm; a multifunctional paradigm; and an emergent globalised-production paradigm. The tensions among these paradigms are developed with reference to evidence from the United States and Canada, the EU, Australia, Japan and the Global South. The book analyses the controversy over genetic modification of foodcrops, developments in agricultural trade policy at the multilateral and regional levels, changing national food policy systems, and emerging global governance arrangements for the sector. Illustrating contemporary policy debates using both theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence, this book will appeal to academics, researchers and students specialising in political science, environmental studies, agricultural economics, management and food policy. The book will also be of interest to government practitioners in agriculture and environment departments as well as international organisations such as the EU, FAO and WTO.

This title was first published in 2002. This engaging work examines the interplay between US and EU agricultural trade policy reforms, as well as the linkage between domestic and trade policy reform, and addresses whether reform is likely to continue during the first decade of the 21st Century. Features include: - Comprehensive overview of the interplay between domestic and international agricultural policy reform - Detailed analysis of the paradigm shift in policy - Vigorous discussion of the potential impact of emerging issues such as GMOs, intellectual property rights, animal and plant health, and human safety The book offers a rich empirical account of politics and diplomacy over the last decade, providing an important background for explaining forthcoming agricultural policy debates in the US, the EU and agricultural policy negotiations in the WTO.

This title was first published in 2002. This engaging work examines the interplay between US and EU agricultural trade policy reforms, as well as the linkage between domestic and trade policy reform, and addresses whether reform is likely to continue during the first decade of the 21st Century. Features include: - Comprehensive overview of the interplay between domestic and international agricultural policy reform - Detailed analysis of the paradigm shift in policy - Vigorous discussion of the potential impact of emerging issues such as GMOs, intellectual property rights, animal and plant health, and human safety The book offers a rich empirical account of politics and diplomacy over the last decade, providing an important background for explaining forthcoming agricultural policy debates in the US, the EU and agricultural policy negotiations in the WTO.

Guarding the safety of a nation's food supply, ensuring quality, and providing information to consumers so that they can make informed food purchase choices are widely accepted as universal obligations of governments. But differences in the way that governments fulfill these obligations can lead to trade conflicts. The potential for such conflicts increases as more affluent and safety-conscious consumers demand additional regulations in the national food systems. Governments should handle these conflicts in a way that both upholds food safety standards--and public confidence in them--and preserves the framework for trade and the benefits of an open food system. This book examines the current state of regulation of the increasingly global food system, analyzes the underlying causes of the trade conflicts (both those that are currently evident and those that are waiting in the wings), and outlines the steps that could be taken to ensure that food safety and open trade become, at the least, compatible and, at best, mutually supporting.

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.

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.

One of the key issues that faces Cuban policymakers today, and will continue to face them, is what steps to take in order to ensure the future of the sugar industry. In 2002, nearly one-half of the country's cultivated land was occupied by the 156 fully functional sugar mills, more than a dozen plants and refineries, and the complex transportation infrastructure brought about by the commerce. The loss of preferential markets for Cuban sugar that arose from the demise of the international socialist community constitutes a crisis that the Cuban government has only begun to address, with a radical restructuring plan that would foresee the reduction of sugar land and the elimination of about 100,000 jobs, for increased economic emphasis on tourism. The radical premise of this volume is that there is a future in the twenty-first century for a reinvented Cuban sugar agroindustry, responsive to market signals, organized around smaller and more agile production units, producing raw sugar as well as high value-added outputs, and using some of the facilities to produce ethanol and generate electricity. The editors have asked over a dozen recognized world experts on Cuban agroindustry to analyze specific topics and make recommendations that would not only reinvent an industry for effective transition to a free-market environment but that has the potential to reinvigorate the Cuban economy, providing employment opportunities and generating wealth for generations of Cubans to come.

One of the key issues that faces Cuban policymakers today, and will continue to face them, is what steps to take in order to ensure the future of the sugar industry. In 2002, nearly one-half of the country's cultivated land was occupied by the 156 fully functional sugar mills, more than a dozen plants and refineries, and the complex transportation infrastructure brought about by the commerce. The loss of preferential markets for Cuban sugar that arose from the demise of the international socialist community constitutes a crisis that the Cuban government has only begun to address, with a radical restructuring plan that would foresee the reduction of sugar land and the elimination of about 100,000 jobs, for increased economic emphasis on tourism. The radical premise of this volume is that there is a future in the twenty-first century for a reinvented Cuban sugar agroindustry, responsive to market signals, organized around smaller and more agile production units, producing raw sugar as well as high value-added outputs, and using some of the facilities to produce ethanol and generate electricity. The editors have asked over a dozen recognized world experts on Cuban agroindustry to analyze specific topics and make recommendations that would not only reinvent an industry for effective transition to a free-market environment but that has the potential to reinvigorate the Cuban economy, providing employment opportunities and generating wealth for generations of Cubans to come.