POLICY SEMINAR

Farm Subsidies and International Trade Rules

MAY 25, 2023 - 9:30 TO 11:00AM EDT

The 1994 Agreement on Agriculture, which emerged from the Uruguay Round, imposed the first real international trade disciplines on agriculture, including rules on market access, export subsidies, and domestic support. However, no further progress was made at the Doha Round. Today, many WTO members continue to seek tighter constraints on trade-distorting domestic support, while others seek more room for producer support related to developing countries’ food stocks. With the next WTO ministerial conference (MC13) scheduled for February 2024, it remains to be seen if progress will be made on these critical issues.

This trade policy seminar will provide a review and future-oriented discussion on domestic support, featuring Lars Brink and David Orden, authors of the recently published book Agricultural Domestic Support under the WTO: Experience and Prospects. The authors will examine the domestic support disciplines in the Agreement on Agriculture, the support governments provide, and the accommodation of support that targets sustainability and climate change goals. Taking recent dispute settlement cases into account, they will evaluate one of the most difficult aspects of the Agreement — the measurement of market price support. Their presentation will be followed by comments from international trade experts and a Q&A session.

The Domestic Support Issues and Prospects

The Rules and Shifting Provision of Support: Lars Brink, Independent Policy Advisor

Problematic Measurement of Market Price Support: David Orden, Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech

Discussion Panel

State of Negotiations at the WTO: Edwini Kessie, Director, WTO Agriculture and Commodities Division

Green Box Rules, Sustainability and Climate Change Mitigation: Valeria Piñeiro, Acting Head of the Latin American region & Senior Research Coordinator, IFPRI

Adjudicating Compliance with Domestic Support Disciplines: Christian Lau, International Trade Lawyer

Moderator

Joseph Glauber, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

More about this seminar: https://www.ifpri.org/event/farm-subsidies-and-international-trade-rules

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LINKS

Book: Agricultural Domestic Support Under The WTO: Experience And Prospects: https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/law/international-trade-law/agricultural-domestic-support-under-wto-experience-and-prospects?format=HB&isbn=9781316514054

Blog: Farm Subsidies And International Trade Rules: https://www.cambridgeblog.org/2023/03/farm-subsidies-and-international-trade-rules/