“Novel approaches and insights for evaluating sustainability of agricultural trade policies” on 23rd of May 2024

To provide evidence-based knowledge for the IISD-initiated discussions on agriculture and trade in terms of sustainability challenges, Making Agricultural Trade Sustainable (MATS) and Trade for Sustainable Development (Trade4SD) projects work on identifying factors that foster the positive and reduce the negative linkages between trade and sustainable development from local to global level.

MATS project applies multi-methods analysis that consist of a set of 15 in-depth case studies (across Africa, Latin America, and Europe) and an integrated multi-model simulation and assessment of linkages between agricultural markets, trade, and investments. The integrated modelling framework consist of three modelling approaches: a participatory systems approach, customized quantitative systems model, and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. These together are used to forecast and assess the outcomes of policy intervention across sectors, economic actors, dimensions of development, over time and in space.

This meeting aims at creating a connection between science and policy, by discussing the relevance and usefulness of the modeling work carried out by two EU Horizon2020 MATS and Trade4SD projects to inform policymaking. International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) will discuss their applicability to policy formulation and evaluation.

TRADE4SD project aims to facilitate the policy-making process and to build trade negotiating capacity particularly in partner countries and in areas relevant to trade and sustainability. The modeling activities included in the project consider the links between trade, trade policies and sustainability at global level. TRADE4SD enhances the capacity of different existing partial and general equilibrium models (AGMEMOD, AGLINK/COSIMO, CGEBox and MAGNET) for the creation of comprehensive sustainability assessments of trade policies as well as for the development of new policies necessary to achieve the SDGs.

You can download the meeting flyer here

You can watch the recordings from the meeting below: