This event aims to share the country and regional experiences in Africa, Latin America and Asia on CD for AIS, as well as insights on evidence-based policy dialogue and investments on agricultural innovation, based on regional and country level assessments. To participate in this event, please register using the following link
The 2022 tralac Annual Conference takes place against the backdrop of global crises of which the medium and long-term consequences are not yet clear. At this conference, we will discuss some of the features of the crises now to be faced, but the real challenge is to understand their interconnectedness and broader implications.
At this Annual Conference, we discussed developments involving continent-wide trade under AfCFTA preferences, alongside the Regional Economic Community (REC) Free Trade Areas (FTAs). We recognise that Africa’s economic development and integration is, in the first instance, its own responsibility. That is one reason why tralac’s mantra is good governance. We are of the view that the AfCFTA design has introduced new elements into the debate about regional integration in Africa, through the inclusion of the REC FTA acquis as a founding principle of continental integration.
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A recent WFP report investigated food distribution in Tanzania through System Dynamics modelling. The main findings of the study suggest integrated approach to food systems leads to the greatest gains, in terms of profitability for farmers, nutritional outcomes and efficiency in the use of production input. Find out more here
This report shows the immediate success of the “Grain Corridor Agreement”, with 130+ grain ships sailing out of a beleaguered Ukraine through the Black Sea. However, numerous problems remain. This implies policy challenges if another blockage is to be avoided, threatening a full supply (particularly) of African and Middle Eastern food markets, where they are needed in times of multiple crises and existential threats to food security.
You can see the full report here
Africa’s agricultural trade capacity and policy are increasingly important as global volatility in agriculture and fertilizer markets is increasing risks for many importing and exporting countries. The 2022 edition of the Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor 2022 (AATM), a flagship of IFPRI and AKADEMIYA2063, analyzes short- and long-term trends and drivers of African agricultural trade flows, including regional policies and the role of global markets. Chapters in this year’s report examine the impact of the Russia-Ukraine War, the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to contribute to growth, the development of value chains for processed products and for coffee, tea, and cocoa, as well as the role of intraregional trade in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and makes recommendations for promoting the development of African trade.
Speakers and discussants will review the report’s key findings and implications for next steps.
Watch on IFPRI’s Website
Oxfam has been part of the global Fair Trade movement since its inception. Today, it still inspires many of our volunteers to champion just and sustainable trade. Together, we reach out to small-scale producers, workers, and grassroots social entrepreneurs. We partner with activists, communities, democratically governed producer organizations, mission-driven enterprises, and social movements to establish ethical trade approaches and advocate for a more just trade system.
We believe the current trade system is far from just or sustainable. It was captured by imperialistic and colonialist forces in the past and remains, even today, under the control of the powerful and the rich to a large extent. Trade justice offers an alternative approach: one that requires shared responsibility according to everyone’s capabilities and considers (historical) privileges, as well as systemic change in the economic, gender, climate and political realms. As long as it excludes people and future generations from its welfare-creating properties, trade cannot be considered just or sustainable.
Please find the full position paper here:
Dealing constructively with subsidies in global commerce is central to G20 leaders’ goal of reforming and strengthening the multilateral trading system. The growing use of distortive subsidies alters trade and investment flows, and detracts from the value of tariff bindings and other market access commitments. The four authoring institutions – IMF, OECD, World Bank Group and WTO – are examining ways to share data and coordinate analytical work agendas for assessing the cross-border effects of different forms of subsidies.
This new report produced by Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) takes stock of the current status of the EU trade policy and proposes a set of recommendations for EU bilateral trade to make a positive contribution to sustainability globally. The authors of the report aim to contribute to the debate on the review of the European Commission’s 15-points action plan to implement FTA TSD Chapters. Download: here
The war on Ukraine, the ongoing climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic led to a meltdown of global supply chains and exposed millions of people to food shortages. Today’s hyperglobalised world is highly fragile! The war and the climate crisis also point to the need to accelerate the renewable energy transition by breaking free from fossil fuels.
What is the role of trade policy in this context? Is signing new trade and investment agreements part of the solution? Or can it make things worse?
Round table discussion, 27 April 2022, 16.00–18.00 CET. Watch live here
The Mexican government plans to eliminate the use of glyphosate and imports of GMO corn and cotton by 2024 as part of its broader program for food self-sufficiency. U.S. agribusinesses are pushing back, falsely asserting that the new rules violate provisions in USMCA.
This assertion of national sovereignty could enhance biodiversity and human health. Depending on how it is implemented, it could also be an important step in a transition to agroecology. Agroecology encourages systems of food production that look at production, processing, distribution and consumption and consider environmental, socioeconomic, cultural and political contexts. Fundamental to principles of agroecology is respect for basic human rights and the importance of respect for the agency of people.
What does the Mexican experience tell us about how public policy and citizen action can support a transition to agroecology? What policy space is needed to enable those changes, whether in Mexico or the U.S.?
Organized by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and Asociación Nacional de Empresas Comercializadoras de Productores del Campo (ANEC).
