Because small farmers in developing countries are often not competitive with intensive industrialised agriculture, rapid liberalisation can in many places often lead to the loss of livelihoods, and undermine the food security of rural communities. For this reason, developing countries at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have sought to exempt from liberalisation the ’special products’ that are important to food security and livelihoods, or to liberalise these products more slowly. A ’special safeguard mechanism’ (SSM) for developing countries could potentially also allow them to shield domestic producers from import surges or price depressions.
Recent research includes analysis of safeguard clauses in regional and bilateral agreements; an information note and longer issue paper exploring how special products should be treated in trade talks at the WTO; and an information note and issue paper examining how a special safeguard mechanism could affect developing country farmers.