As ministers prepare to gather in Geneva on 21st July in an effort to finalise a draft WTO agricultural trade deal, it becomes increasingly important to understand the trade and development implications of the blueprint ‘modalities’ accord that is on the table. ICTSD, IPC and IFPRI have therefore commissioned a series of studies that aim to clarify what the draft accord will mean, in terms of increased trade flows for particular commodities, in particular markets and for particular exporters. The studies examine the implications of the proposed deal for EU, US and India, looking at both offensive and defensive interests in market access, domestic support and export competition. An overview paper also assesses the extent to which WTO Members are likely to achieve the trade and development objectives to which they initially agreed at Doha, by comparing the likely outcomes with those that emerged from the Uruguay Round.
The country studies have been conducted by a team of experts from around the world. The US analysis was conducted by Professor David Blandford (Pennsylvania State University), David Laborde (IFPRI) and Will Martin (World Bank); that on the EU by Professor Tim Josling (Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University; IPC member), David Laborde (IFPRI) and Sébastian Jean (UMR INRA-AgroParisTech and CEPII); and that on India by Professor Munisamy Gopinath (Oregon State University) and David Laborde (IFPRI). The overview paper was drafted by IPC members Mike Gifford (former Canadian chief agricultural trade negotiator) and Raul Montemayor (Federation of Free Farmers, the Philippines).
Additionally, the ICTSD Agriculture Programme, with authors Riza Bernabe and Raul Montemayor, conducted two studies on the provisions for special products and the special safeguard mechanism in the Draft Agriculture Modalities for the Doha round. The studies and the related Information Note outline the implications of the Doha Deal for special products and the special safeguard mechanism.
OVERVIEW ASSESSMENT OF THE REVISED DRAFT WTO MODALITIES FOR AGRICULTURE. By Michael Gifford and Raul Montemayor, June 2008 (12 pages). To access the paper, please refer to http://www.agtradepolicy.org/output/resource/Overview%20paper%20final.pdf.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES OF THE MAY 2008 DRAFT AGRICULTURAL MODALITIES. By David Blandford, David Laborde and Will Martin, June 2008 (52 pages). To access the paper, please refer to http://www.agtradepolicy.org/output/resource/US%20paper%20final.pdf.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION OF THE MAY 2008 DRAFT AGRICULTURAL MODALITIES. By Sébastien Jean, Tim Josling and David Laborde, June 2008 (34 pages). To access the paper, please refer to http://www.agtradepolicy.org/output/resource/EU%20paper%20final.pdf.
IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA OF THE MAY 2008 DRAFT AGRICULTURAL MODALITIES. By Gopinath Munisamy and David Laborde, June 2008 (39 pages). To access the paper, please refer to http://www.agtradepolicy.org/output/resource/India%20paper%20final.pdf.
HOW WILL THE MAY 2008 “MODALITIES” TEXT AFFECT ACCESS TO THE SPECIAL SAFEGUARD MECHANISM, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARD DUTIES? By Raul Montemayor, June 2008 (30 pages). To access the report, please refer to http://www.agtradepolicy.org/output/resource/ICTSD%20Issue%20Paper%20No%2015%20-%20Special%20Safeguard%20Mechanism.pdf.
TREATMENT OF SPECIAL PRODUCTS: IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHAIR’S MAY 2008 DRAFT MODALITIES TEXT. By Riza Bernabe, June 2008 (29 pages). To access the paper, please refer to http://www.agtradepolicy.org/output/resource/ICTSD%20Issue%20Paper%20No%2014%20-%20Special%20Products.pdf.
TREATMENT OF SPECIAL PRODUCTS: IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHAIR’S MAY 2008 DRAFT MODALITIES TEXT. ICTSD, June 2008. This paper summarises some of the key findings of the paper by Riza Bernabe (8 pages). To access the paper, please refer to http://www.agtradepolicy.org/output/resource/ICTSD%20Information%20Note%20No%207%20-%20Special%20Products.pdf.
CHRONIC POVERTY REPORT 2008-09 ‘ESCAPING POVERTY TRAPS.’ The Chronic Poverty Research Centre, 8 July 2008. The first Chronic Poverty Report published in 2004 highlighted the key processes by which many millions of people are trapped in chronic poverty. Speaking at the launch Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP, then Chancellor of the Exchequer said, “I want to congratulate the Chronic Poverty Research Centre. This report is a landmark report. It is a challenge to any complacency, it is a call for change and it is a demand for urgent action.” This, the second Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09 - Escaping Poverty Traps, provides a policy response to the first and for the 320 to 443 million people trapped in chronic poverty, it presents a set of policy solutions, with an emphasis on tackling exclusion, extending social protection and building assets. For further information and to access the report, please refer to http://www.odi.org.uk/events/2008/07/cprc_launch/index.html.
PROMOTION OF WIND ENERGY: LESSONS LEARNED FROM INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND UNDP-GEF PROJECTS. UNDP, 2008. This report provides a review of the active United Nations Development Project (UNDP) - Global Environment Facility (GEF) wind energy portfolio. It looks at the design, costs and efficiency of existing projects, drawing on the experience of 14 wind energy projects that have been financed through UNDP to help national governments implement wind energy public policies. It includes a detailed analysis and recommendations for future projects on prioritising countries, choosing types of policies and designing mechanisms. The Clean Development Mechanism, for example, emerges as a possible way of increasing revenues of wind energy projects. To access the report, please refer to http://www.undp.org/gef/05/documents/publications/windpower_web.pdf.