Agricultural and Food Products in Preferential Trade Agreements

Abstract

SynonymsAgricultural and food products in regional and bilateraltrade agreements; Preferential market access for agriculturaland food products; Reciprocal and unilateral preferential accessfor agricultural and food tradeIntroductionThe primaryagricultural sector has been generally characterized byconsiderable governmental interventions through domestic supportand international trade policies (Schmitz et al. 2010). Suchgovernmental interventions are often extended to cover selectedprocessed food products, particularly those that are deemed tobe sensitive. The sensitivity of the primary agricultural sectoris mainly associated with food security issues. It also stemsfrom the influence of farmers’ organizations that persuadegovernments through lobbying activities to implementprotectionist policies vis-à-vis foreign products and toadopt price and income support schemes. Although these policiesare expected to affect consumers and taxpayers, they arenormally justified by ethic ...