Agricultural trade policy reform in South Asia: the role of the Uruguay round and policy options for the future WTO agenda

摘要

This paper examines the role of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA) in agricultural trade policy reform in South Asia and policy options for the future reform agenda of the World Trade Organization (WTO). A key policy inference is that, to be effective, planning for freeing agriculture should involve simultaneous reforms of import and export regimes, and domestic production support mechanisms. Policy related lending, in particular provision of financial support for social safety programs, can play an important role in making such comprehensive reforms politically palatable and feasible. While overloading the WTO with matters 'hat fall beyond its purview may be counterproductive, there is certainly a case for a coordinated effort involving the WTO and international development finance institutions.