Agricultural Trade and the Problems of Development

An examination of the trade policies designed to promote the economic development of developing countries with specific reference to agricultural products. After a preliminary examination of the problems in this area - agricultural protectionism in developed countries - the book examines three specific policies. Part 1 traces the emergence of international commodity policy concentrating on the Integrated Programme for Commodities. Part 2 traces the emergence and implementation of the principle of preferential treatment for developing countries. Part 3 examines trade policies generally both bilateral (the Lome Convention) and multilaterally (the GATT). The conclusion brings together the proposals made throughout the book in order to devise an alternative trade policy for development.;The book examines the development and implementation of the legal principles concerning the trade policies for development and questions the adequacy of these and the implementing measures to achieve their desired ends. Alternatives are proposed which seek to accommodate the conflicting interests of all countries. From a situation initially characterized by a lack of consensus on the trade policy rules to govern developing countries, the book charts the emergence of compromise and seeks to promote development by arguing for a new consensus on trade policy for development.