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TARIFF ANALYSIS ONLINE. World Trade Organisation. This service was recently added to the WTO’s set of online tools for finding out information on customs tariffs last week. It includes a great amount of detail on the tariffs that WTO members have legally bound and the rates they are actually charging, summary import statistics, and the ability to analyse these interactively. The service draws on the WTO’s Integrated Database (IDB) of tariff and import data and its Consolidated Tariff Schedules of members’ tariff commitments. Users can search various criteria and obtain analytical reports of the results. The development of the new service is in line with the Market Access Committee’s decision last summer to make detailed information on tariffs available to the public. A link to the service and accompanying information can been found at: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news10_e/tar_03feb10_e.htm.
TRADE, FOOD, DIET AND HEALTH: PERSPECTIVES AND POLICY OPTIONS. By Corinna Hawkes, Chantal Blouin, Spencer Henson, Nick Drager and Laurette Dubé. Wiley-Blackwell, December 2009. As global populations have become more overweight and obese, incidences of diet-related chronic illness have risen significantly. This book examines the role the global food trade has played in that change, examining how cross-border food trade, international and regional agreements, liberalisation of trade and investment and the growth of trans-national food corporations affect what people eat and their health. The multidisciplinary group of contributors offers a balanced perspective on the opportunities and risks trade poses for dietary trends and practical policy options to address this growing global concern. Information on this text is available at: http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405199865.html.
THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTION. By Gerald Nelson, Amanda Palazzo, Claudia Ringler, Timothy Sulser and Miroslav Batka. ICTSD-IPC Platform on Climate Change, Agriculture and Trade, December 2009. Written by researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute, this issue brief discusses why trade flows are especially important in agricultural adjustments to climate change, particularly in light of recent research that suggests carbon fertilisation laboratory test results cannot be duplicated in the field. An open and equitable agricultural trade system is necessary to address both climate change and food security concerns. Yet, as this paper also argues, it would be unwise to rely solely on trade to help us adjust to climate change. Along with ongoing efforts to maintain an open and equitable global food system, the international community must also commit significantly to sustained investment in agricultural productivity. This publication can be accessed at: http://ictsd.org/i/publications/66988/.
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