Year: 1998
Type: article
Abstract: The world has changed so dramatically in the past few years that it is worth our time to examine both how it has changed and the implications of these changes for our work as economists, our governments and their respective roles, our international institutions, and democracy itself. These changes are so profound that even a decade ago, it would have been impossible to begin a discussion which bears much resemblance to the world we are now in. Of concern is that unless we actively examine the rapidly changing nature of our world, we will be driven by change rather than helping to shape it to the needs of our cultures, societies, economies, and the evolution of our democracies. In this paper, I want to explore broadly a number of the changes in the world around us and the economic and social milieu in which we now find ourselves. For many of us involved in agriculture for some years, it is easy to see the WTO as a significant turning point, leading to increased and increasing trade among nations. What is less easy to see is the integration of the production and marketing systems across countries resulting from trade liberalisation. Similarly, the impacts of information technology may be of increasing importance to our work, but these same technologies are fundamentally reshaping the way in which democratic systems operate in the formation of policy, interest group formation and their roles in society, and the roles of traditional political processes in policy debate and resolution, at national, regional and even international levels. These are only two of the strategically significant changes we face. Following this exploration, I want to explore two broad areas of interest and concern in policy, biotechnology and rural policies, both of which appear to be deeply affected by these changing processes, and conclude with some observations about our roles as economists within our respective societies.
Source: Agrekon
Author: D. D. Hedley
Institution: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2079853626