Abstract

This project identifies key political and economic trends in the global food system, as a contribution to civil society monitoring of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture.

Issue

Farming communities across the world face problems dealing with the structural forces in the international food regime, inducing dumping, land concentration, agricultural exporting, privatization of seeds, supermarketing, etc. Analysis of how these forces operate globally and provide useful framing and methods of connecting issues.

Response

Global framing of issues confronting farming communities across the world assists civil society organizations and farm movements to connect concerns, in preparation for the WTO Ministerial in July 2005.

Impact

Impact is measured in terms of the currency of analytical ideas and how they contribute through global justice movements to social understanding. Eventually policy shifts towards protecting farm communities, cultures, and ecologies will be seen.

Funding Sources

• Private (e.g., commodity groups, foundations, companies)

Collaborators

• Institute for Agricultural Trade Policy (IATP)

Key Personnel

• Philip McMichael, Development Sociology, Cornell University