Agriculture in the New Global Economy

by William L. Coleman, Wyn Grant, Timothy Edward Josling

Agriculture in the New Global Economy examines the extent to which the political economy of agriculture and the food chain is being transformed by globalisation. This book highlights the important changes that have taken place in the agriculture and food system with the spread of globalisation to this traditionally local sector. Structural change and emerging technologies have contributed to this transformation, which has extended to the political environment in which agriculture operates. The authors identify four paradigms that have characterised the governance of a traditional dependent-agriculture paradigm; a neo-liberal competitive paradigm; a multifunctional paradigm; and an emergent globalised-production paradigm. The tensions among these paradigms are developed with reference to evidence from the United States and Canada, the EU, Australia, Japan and the Global South. The book analyses the controversy over genetic modification of foodcrops, developments in agricultural trade policy at the multilateral and regional levels, changing national food policy systems, and emerging global governance arrangements for the sector. Illustrating contemporary policy debates using both theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence, this book will appeal to academics, researchers and students specialising in political science, environmental studies, agricultural economics, management and food policy. The book will also be of interest to government practitioners in agriculture and environment departments as well as international organisations such as the EU, FAO and WTO.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2004