The last decade has witnessed a steady decline in the dollar values of many of the traditional agricultural export crops (TAEs) from developing countries and has highlighted the risks of depending upon a very narrow export base for foreign exchange earnings. Breaking the dependence upon the traditional primary commodities and diversifying into higher value or added value exports is not easy. This report provides an overview of the market for...

The paper explores the impact of an agricultural trade agreement, simulating alternative liberalization scenarios, and studying the outcomes of the interaction between the strategies of country groups in the negotiations. The analysis is based on the model of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), and on the related version 5.4 database. Scenarios are run on a 2013 baseline, built by taking into account a number of events that have affected...

There is a long tradition in the quantification of the impact of agricultural trade distortions on global markets, trade, and individual countries, notably in the context of the ongoing multilateral trade negotiations. This paper analyses the case of cotton in this context. Recently, the issue of cotton subsidies and their likely negative effects has attracted considerable attention and controversy. There are some model-based assessments of the impact, and their results...

The world market for certified organic citrus (fresh and juice) is presently small and production accounts for less than 1 percent of global citrus production. The main markets are the European Community and the United States, which are also the world’s largest two producers. Consumption of organic citrus is expected to rise steadily in developed countries in the coming years, providing interesting export opportunities.

This paper outlines a methodological approach for use by FAO to collect, analyze and monitor agricultural policy indicators (API) for developing countries. The aim is to establish a consistent and comparable set of policy indicators, allowing analysts to examine whether agriculture in particular countries is being stimulated or retarded by the set of policies employed. The API should also be useful in the context of quantitative models of policy impacts...

This report summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place during the "FAO Meeting on Voluntary Standards and Certification for Environmentally and Socially Responsible Agricultural Production and Trade" (Rome, 22 April 2004). Over 120 participants from all over the world gathered to discuss issues related to the promotion of environmentally and socially sustainable agricultural practices. The meeting was held in close collaboration and back-to-back with the final conference of the...

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Assessment Mission visited Eritrea from 25 October to 12 November 2003 to assess the 2003 production of the main cereals and pulses as well as the condition of the livestock, review the overall food situation and estimate the cereal import requirement for 2004 – including food aid needs – and identify essential support activities towards crop production and livestock management in 2004.

FAO’s latest forecast for global cereal production in 2003 is 1 874 million tonnes, 2 percent more than in 2002 but still less than the expected utilization in 2003/04, which is forecast at 1 971 million tonnes. As a result, global cereal stocks are expected to be drawn down to 382 million tonnes. World cereal trade is forecast to fall significantly in 2003/04 to 227 million tonnes, the lowest level...

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission visited the country from 23 September to 4 October to assess the 2003 crop harvest, forecast 2004 production of winter/spring wheat, barley and potato crops, and estimate cereal import requirements for the 2003/04 marketing year (November/October), including food aid needs.