The elusive goal of agricultural trade reform

Abstract

The Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture represented a significant achievement because for the first time, a comprehensive set of disciplines was placed on trade-distorting measures affecting agricultural products. The negotiations applied limits to and cuts in both export subsidies and market access barriers, while recognizing that domestic support measures can also distort trade. The Agreement on Agriculture served to both define the problem and place some loose bounds around it. More than that, the Agreement on Agriculture altered the climate of farm policymaking in both advanced and developing countries, and raised the consciousness of policymakers on the international implications of their actions.