AREC173 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Agricultural Policy, Food Safety, World Trade Organization

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Agricultural and Resource Economics
• Course: AREC173
• Professor: Brent Swallow

Document Summary

U. s canada agricultural trade has expanded with few interruptions during the. International trade of food and agricultural products is highly contentious: food seen as a strategic commodity and stable food supply and prices as a responsibility of governments, concerns about export subsidies and dumping of excess production (ex. States dumping corn in developing countries) and import tariffs that protect domestic producers: gatt to wto setting overall context for international trade, agriculture and food long seen as exceptions. Policy context for canadian agriculture: agriculture is a dual responsibility of federal and provincial governments. Many programs are national, with implementation at provincial level, with co- nancing from provincial governments: food safety is even more complex: with national, provincial and municipal authorities responsible for regulation and monitoring. Policy approaches in canadian agriculture: 3 different policy approaches taken in general, 1. Traditional grain industries (concentrated in western canada) are export- oriented and thus more exposed to international market forces.