Agriculture in International Trade Agreements
Course Title: Agriculture in International Trade Agreements
Course Dates: November 2 to 27, 2020
Language: the online course will be conducted in Russian language
Registration status: Registration has been CLOSED
Deadline: October 22, 2020
Course Background
Global trade in agricultural products has grown almost three-fold in value terms over the past decade with some regions increasing net exports and others increasing net imports. Considering the importance of food imports for food security and the role of exports in generating incomes, trade constitutes an essential component of most countries’ development strategies, including the post-Soviet countries.
Global trade in agricultural products is expected to continue to increase over the coming decades, with countries becoming more engaged in the trade. It is important to note the appropriateness of trade and related policies will differ across countries, depending on their level of agriculture sector development. Also, the range of possible policies that can be implemented follows the legal and institutional frameworks created by international trade agreements and frameworks such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is in this context that balancing the achievement of national policy objectives with the obligations under trade agreements to minimize any potentially negative effects of countries’ actions on their trading partners is vitally important. Recent changes in policies to regulate agrifood trade and to support agribusiness in relation with COVID-19 pandemic will be discussed at the course discussion forum.
Another significant characteristic of the international trade is that number of regional trade agreements (RTAs) has expanded, with the increased complexity in coverage and content. RTAs tend to establish deeper trade and economic integration provisions than multilateral agreements. Therefore, it is critical to understand how the agriculture is addressed in RTAs and what are similarities and differences from the WTO rules.
Additional Information
This course is offered free of charge as part of FAO’s Regional Initiative for Improving Agrifood Trade and Market Integration in Europe and Central Asia. Limited slots are available and will be subject to a selection process conducted by FAO and UNITAR, taking into account in particular, the geographical distribution and gender balance.
In the preparation of this course, FAO draws from its extensive experience with providing guidance, capacity building and technical advice to its member countries on the topic of agricultural trade policy and multilateral trade negotiations, as well as its normative work in the framework of international conventions and agreements on SPS.
A certificate of completion will be issued to participants who successfully complete all course-related assignments and assessments.