Analysis of the effects of the present World Trade Order on agricultural markets with regard to sustainable development

Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs

The goal of the present study is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of liberalized world trade, in particular in the agricultural sector, and to investigate whether and to which extent the WTO Agreements provide the opportunity to react to negative developments, and if not, to suggest necessary further developments of the said agreements and their application. Furthermore, the study should contribute towards alleviating the lack of basic theoretical arguments, pointed out by trade policy-makers, in order to arrive at a well-founded position through improved insight and analysis.

Economic goals are diverse a priori and vary greatly according to situation; it is therefore hardly possible to formulate a complete list of detailed goals for a sustainable global economy which is capable of finding consensus. This study is therefore limited to the aspects of sustainability, environmental protection and food security as the major preconditions for an economy that is efficient in the long term and secures prosperity.

In order to be able to make statements regarding the deficits of the world trade system and its conflicts with basic societal goals, such as sustainability or long term security of supplies, it was initially necessary to elaborate basic problematic interrelationships of the issues in question in addition to clarifying the terminology. In the case of the present study, this has taken inter alia on the form of a detailed elaboration of the concept of sustainability as well as the present world trade system and the theoretical concepts upon which it is based. Proposals for solutions were developed on this basis.