Category: News

Brown Bag Seminar “Sustainable Development: Is WTO Part of the Problem?”

Christian Häberli, WTI Fellow and MATS legal advisor, will speak at the World Trade Institute: are the WTO and the multilateral trading system sustainable?

A lot of criticism continues to abound even after the self-claimed success of MC13. There are the obvious grievances about the lack of dispute settlement and the lack of real negotiations. Businesses and NGOs point out the shortcomings in their fields of interest. Arthur Appleton and & Patrick Macrory find problems just about everywhere and make suggestions on how to fix them (2022, Kluwer Law International BV). Other scholars (Aaronson, Baldwin, Evenett, Howse, Mavroidis, Orden et al) argue that WTO has become part of the problem. Not only because of the stalled agriculture and other negotiations, or the incompatibility of the present WTO non-discrimination rules with the Climate Agreement “differentiation” obligation. The pandemic, the energy crisis, and other wars failed to move the debate in Geneva forward for even one inch.

Basically, there seems to be a consensus – outside of WTO – that the multilateral trading system is not sustainable. This raises the question whether Trade Ministry representatives masterminding all WTO proceedings are unable or unwilling to review the present rules? Could scholars or adjudicators find compelling reasons to consider non-international economic law in their assessment of a claim of non-sustainability?

My article will focus on agricultural trade (Working Title: “Agricultural Trade Rules – Where are you?”), but this lecture starts with a lot of context outside agriculture. Yet it will not join the blame game. I only propose to accept the present shortcomings in international trade and investment governance as a leverage for reforms negotiated by those who matter: WTO Member governments, and parliaments.

MATS Press release (in Italian)

Doing agribusiness in Italy, you might be interested in our project’s press release written in Italian by our project partner, namely Research Centre on Animal Production, Department of Economics and Engineering (CRPA).

You can read the full press release here

DISCUSSION BRIEFS 6/2022 – Synthesis of model-based studies: A discussion on computational models applied in agricultural trade-related work

The discussion brief (available here) presents computational models used in previously published agricultural trade-related academic journal articles. The study analyses the results of models that were used to assess the relation between trade and sustainability (environmental, social, and economic dimensions). A detailed description of the models and information about their characteristics, goal, type, regional coverage, time frame, and applications can be found in MATS project DEL2.2.

Food system in Tanzania – a focus on distribution

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

Opening of the Black Sea Grain Corridor

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

Policy Seminar – Leveraging Data to Improve Intra-Africa Food Trade, Sep 27, 2022 – 9:30 to 11:15am EDTe

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 publishes its global Position Paper on Fair Trade

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:

• English and Dutch
• French
• Spanish

Report: Subsidies, Trade, and International Cooperation (free download)

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.

Enhancing sustainability in EU Free Trade Agreements: The case for a holistic approach

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

Geopolitics of Food EU Response Post 23/3 Communication

Following the EU Commission’s 23 March 2022 communication on food security and food system sustainability transition questions arising from the Ukraine war impacts,  Dr. Leonard Mizzi, Head of Unit Sustainable Food Systems & Fisheries, European Commission, will update participants on how the EU is proposing to respond, factoring in also the unfolding developments in G7 (DE Presidency) and in Multilatera Fora. Read more here