Trade rules and agriculture: A broken relationship

Our new report Trade Rules & Agriculture: A Broken Relationship, written in collaboration with Trade Justice Movement underscores the urgent need for a more inclusive and nuanced dialogue on the impact of trade regulations on the agri-food system. This report is a call to action for governments and international bodies alike to forge a fairer, more sustainable future for smallholder farmers and vulnerable nations.

This report provides an overview of key trade-related rules affecting the global agri-food system. It evaluates the influence of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) on regional farming sectors and food security. Specifically, it describes the systematic injustices that make it harder for countries in the Global South to support their farming sectors, whilst rich countries continue to subsidise their own. It further delves into critical, timely topics such as bilateral and investment agreements that undermine farmers’ rights to save indigenous seeds; climate-related trade measures; workers’ rights; and digital trade rules.

The report recommends that the UK Government: 

1. Develop a comprehensive strategy to assess the impact of trade arrangements on the just transition to sustainable agriculture; 

2. Ensure that bilateral trade agreements fully align with the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); 

3. Eliminate the requirement to sign up for the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) from existing agreements and refrain from including them in new ones; 

4. Specify that the UK's approach to intellectual property protections in trade agreements adhere to commitments to technology transfer outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement and the SDGs. 

It also recommends the following for multilateral action: 

1. Establish trade rules that facilitate regional integration, strengthen local and regional agricultural markets, and reduce vulnerability to volatile global food prices; 

2. Create a dedicated Special Safeguarding Mechanism for developing countries, tailored to their specific needs and contexts; 

3. Restructure the Aggregate Measure of Support system to track actual prices and allow countries greater policy space to support their agriculture sectors;

4. Institute a waiver for public stockholding for food security;  

5. Explore the potential benefits of multilateral initiatives, including a World Trade Organization (WTO) climate waiver.