Thumbnail Image

The Breakdown of the Doha Round Negotiations – What Does it Mean for Dealing with Soaring Food Prices?

Year of publication 2008

Author David Hallam, Panos Konandreas, Jamie Morrison and Ramesh Sharma

Product type Document

Category Policy brief

Series title ES Policy Briefs Economic and Social Perspectives

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Summary of Key Points: • Current WTO rules have not prevented countries from using trade policies to mitigate the negative effects of soaring global food prices on domestic markets. However, imbalances in the rules may have resulted in inappropriate policy responses. • Reductions in tariffs applied to basic foods, which were generally fairly low to start with, have been ineffective in offsetting increases in food prices. By contrast, the widespread use of export restrictions has created unc ertainty over the reliability of world markets as a source of imports. • A functional instrument to operationalize the Marrakesh Decision would have been helpful to countries facing surges in food import bills. • The draft Modalities under negotiation in the Doha Round were unlikely to change this situation. However, the current impasse provides an opportunity for strengthening certain rules to promote more appropriate policy responses to future food crises.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Policy brief
    No. 8. Food aid in the context of international and domestic markets and the Doha Round
    FAO trade policy technical notes on issues related to the WTO negotiations on agriculture
    2005
    Also available in:
    This technical note reviews major developments in the international food aid system and different positions on the effectiveness and impact of food aid. It also attempts to clarify the terminology, definitions and concepts used in discussions on food aid, with a view to improving the process of analysis and to help focus the debate under the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Framework Agreement on Agriculture adopted on 1 August 2004, which has called for negotiations on food aid disciplines.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical study
    AGRICULTURE, TRADE AND FOOD SECURITY: ISSUES AND OPTIONS IN THE WTO NEGOTIATIONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
    Report and papers of an FAO Symposiumheld at Geneva on 23 - 24 September 1999. Vol. 1 Issues and options.
    2000
    Also available in:
    As part of its mandate to provide assistance to member countries for the follow-up to the Uruguay Round and future negotiations on agriculture, FAO has pursued a wide range of activities with a view to enhancing the capacity of member countries, particularly developing countries, to analyse the implications of the Uruguay Round Agreements for the agricultural sector, to adjust to the new trading environment and thus take advantage of trading opportunities, and to participate effectively in futur e multilateral trade negotiations. The 1996 World Food Summit Plan of Action commits FAO to continue assisting developing countries on trade issues and in particular
  • Thumbnail Image
    Document
    Working paper
    Food Prices and Food Security in Trinidad and Tobago 2007
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The economy of Trinidad and Tobago is booming, in particular as a consequence of increased energy production and the historical high oil prices. Whilst general inflation has remained relatively low for much of the present economic boom, substantial increases in retail food prices have been observed, in particular since 2005. This paper looks at the development of retail food prices, its causes, the potential impact thereof in terms of food security and possible policy options for addressing this . It concludes that whilst households with low income are the groups most affected by the food price increases and will continue to be so in the wake of increasing international prices, it is unlikely that the price increases in isolation will throw off Trinidad and Tobago’s path towards meeting the MDG 1 hunger target and bringing the share of undernourished people down to 6.5% by 2015. However, food security problems will remain, in particular related to overweight and obesity caused by unbala nced diets. Analysing the food marketing systems according to domestic production system (export versus domestic consumption), product type (fresh versus frozen and processed) and origins (imported versus domestic), the paper identifies potential causes of price increases. These include increases in price margins, international price changes and market conditions that vary greatly for different commodities, ranging from competitive to oligopolistic. Finally, the paper identifies areas of potent ial interventions related to direct price interventions, social protection, agricultural investment and trade facilitation.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Guideline
    International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management – Guidance on Good Labelling Practices for Pesticides
    Second revision
    2022
    Also available in:
    This second revision of the Guidance on Good Labelling Practice for Pesticides targets pesticide regulatory authorities, primarily in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, which have to define or revise national pesticide labelling requirements. The guidance aims also to assist pesticide registration authorities in reviewing the design and contents of (draft) pesticide labels. Other stakeholders, such as pesticide industry and civil society groups, may also find the guidance useful for writing or evaluating pesticide labels. The revised guidance further stresses the importance to adopt the Globally Harmonised System of classification of pesticides by hazard (GHS) and to use it for pesticide labelling. It provides a revised section on colour bands (4.7) so that labels of pesticide products reflect both acute health and severe chronic toxicity.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Manual / guide
    Manual practíco para el diseño de sistemas de minirriego 2008
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Este manual tiene como objetivo proporcionar las herramientas básicas para que técnicos de nivel medio puedan encarar con éxito el diseño de sistemas de minirriego. No pretende ser un manual teórico sobre agronomía e hidráulica, sino un documento eminentemente práctico sobre diseño agronómico e hidráulico de minirriegos, enfocado principalmente al riego por gravedad y aspersión en parcelas de pequeña superficie. El diseño de riego localizado, especialmente en parcelas con pendiente, es hidráulic amente mucho más complicado y no será cubierto en este manual. Tampoco se contemplan aspectos de optimización económica e hidráulica dado que estos son más necesarios en riegos para grandes superficies.
Show more