Lecture 26.
Doha Round negotiations on agriculture -
current state of play
What we want to learn about this topic
- textual analysis of the Agriculture Chair's revised draft modalities of February 2008. How much convergence to date? How much divergence remains?
- what are the main obstacles to concluding the Doha Round successfully?
- what would be likely to happen if the Doha Round fails?
Short introduction to the issues
The Revised Draft Modalities
To be added
Political chances of reaching a deal
- Pressure on EU to reach an early deal
- US timing constraints (Trade Promotion Authority, Farm Bill, Presidential election)
- Developing country interests
Alternatives to Doha
- Litigation
- Regional trade agreements
- Erosion of WTO authority - rise of protectism
Reading suggestions
Revised Draft Modalities
The text of the February 2008 revised draft modalities can be found on the WTO website. I have posted a summary of the proposals on the CAP Health Check blog which you may find easier to read.
Litigation in agriculture
Josling, T. et al., Implications of WTO Litigation for the WTO Agricultural Negotiations, IPC Issue Brief No. 19, March 2006.
Doha alternatives
Schott, J., 2006. Completing the Doha Round, Policy Briefs in International Economics, Institute for International Economics, Washington, D.C.
Neary, P., 2004. Europe on the Road to Doha: Towards a New Global Trade Round?, CESinfo Economic Studies 50, 2, 319-334.
Supplementary resources
WTO website on the agricultural negotiations.
See especially
WTO Secretariat, Agriculture negotiations backgrounder: the issues, and where we are now (last updated 1 December 2004) (download)
The DG AGRI website on the Doha Round
negotiations (see also DG AGRI's EU
agriculture and the WTO publication)
(see resources under Publications and Position papers)
The US website on the Doha Round negotiations
(useful links to detailed fact sheets outlining the details of the US proposal
and how it would work)
Web resources
World Bank pages on the agricultural negotiations
FAO Trade website
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
WTOWatch.org pages
International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium papers
Australian Bureau of Agricultural
and Resource Economics (ABARE) trade papers
International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council
