Year: 2018
Type: report
Abstract: FINDINGS■ Trade can contribute to the four key requirements of food security-food availability, access, utilization, and stability of supply.■ By encouraging production in areas with a comparative advantage in agriculture, trade raises countries' incomes and provides access to better prices on the world market.■ Limiting trade would result in high prices in land-scarce countries, depressed food prices in land-abundant countries, and lower real incomes in both.■ Trade in inputs, commodities, and ideas can boost agricultural productivity and increase sustainability by facilitating diffusion of technology and spurring innovation.■ The institutional framework for international trade has helped countries take advantage of opportunities for food exports and imports.■ Nutrition can be improved by open trade, which can provide better access to a diversified food basket, including greater diversity of products and suppliers and reduced volatility of supply.■ Real risks associated with trade opening include increases in inequality, negative impacts on health, increased energy use, and environmental damage. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS■ Support trade opening with active policies and strong institutions to guarantee cooperative behavior and coordination.■ Design policies to address challenges or externalities associated with trade using the assignment principletargeting the policy to the immediate source of the problem.■ Address inequality and price volatility with safety nets and investment in human capital.Smart policy solutions will protect consumers and producers with direct support.■ Address environmental impacts with resource management policies.Overexploitation of resources or loss of biodiversity are best managed by mainstreaming good management into production, rather than limiting trade.■ Address overnutrition with education and other policies directly targeting consumption.These are more effective than banning or limiting trade in calorie-dense foods.
Authors: Martin, Will; Laborde Debucquet, David, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2824-1303 Martin, Will; http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3644-3498 Laborde Debucquet, David
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, No poverty
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W2902908936