Thumbnail Image

Trade policy technical notes

Trade and Food Security: Trade and Nutrition Technical Note, No. 21 – January 2018

Year of publication 2018

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 8

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The triple burden of malnutrition, which consists of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight and obesity, continues to be a global cause for concern. In fact, dietary risks are among the leading factors contributing to early deaths. Which role can trade and trade policy play in achieving food and nutrition security? Trade can improve the availability and affordability of different foods as well as provide more choices for consumers and thus help diversify diets. At the same time, the rise of food trade is often associated with a greater availability of less healthy foods, including ultra-processed foods, which can be to the detriment of dietary quality. Myriad policies, including in agriculture and trade, affect the food system, its economic environment, prices, producers, processors and consumers. Trade policies can change the availability of and access to food and thus effect consumer choices and the ultimate composition of diets. To maximize the positive effects of increased trade for nutrition and to limit its adverse effects, trade reforms need to be complemented by targeted domestic policies designed to improve the nutritional status of the population, tailored to country specific needs. The combination of fiscal measures and public information campaigns, for example, could shift consumption in favour of healthier alternatives. The technical note explores the impact of trade on nutrition and the extent to which trade policies affect nutritional objectives. It also highlights critical knowledge gaps for evidence-based decision making.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    FAO TRADE POLICY TECHNICAL NOTES - No. 12. Rice: what do analytical model results tell us?
    FAO TRADE POLICY TECHNICAL BRIEFS - No. 12 Rice Liberalization: Predicting Trade and Price Impacts
    2005
    Also available in:
    2004 was declared the International Year of Rice by the United Nations General Assembly, a tribute to a commodity that is the staple food for about half of the world’s population and also a major income earner in developing countries. Because of its strategic importance, rice has been subject to a host of policy interventions that have made it feature among the most distorted of all agricultural commodities. For this reason, rice is frequently specified in models that analyse the effects of trad e liberalization. The objective of this technical note is to review and compare the various analytical tools employed to assess such impacts, with the ultimate aim of shedding some light on critical issues under discussion in the current WTO Multilateral Trade Negotiations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    FAO TRADE POLICY TECHNICAL NOTES - No. 1. COTTON: impact of support policies on developing countries - a guide to contemporary analysis
    FAO TRADE POLICY BRIEFS - No. 1. COTTON: impact of support policies on developing countries - why do the numbers vary?
    2004
    Also available in:
    Subsidies maintain cotton production at otherwise unprofitable levels in industrialized countries Excess supply induced by domestic subsidies has a depressing effect on the world market price Subsidy reductions will reduce poverty in developing producing countries Estimates of the magnitude of the impact of subsidies on the global pattern of cotton production, world market prices and cotton trade vary due to the range of assumptions used by different studies
  • Thumbnail Image
    Journal, magazine, bulletin
    Trade Policy Review in Europe and Central Asia. Quarterly Bulletin No. 6
    April - June 2021
    2021
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This quarterly bulletin features agricultural trade policy changes in the region. It provides current trade measures, agreements, statistics and articles by experts covering trade-related issues in countries across the region, and it is sent to members of the Agricultural Trade Expert Network. The network connects experts from around Europe and Central Asia as part of the Regional Initiative on Agrifood Trade and Market Integration. These experts research, train and advise governments and the private sector on agricultural trade issues in the region, including participation in multilateral and regional trade agreements.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.