Agriculture, Trade and the Environment

In this timely volume, an international group of economists, trade negotiators, and environmentalists brings diverse perspectives to bear on the nexus of trade and the environment. Providing a conceptual framework to help readers contextualize the debates, the contributors explore emerging political and economic connections among trade, international institutions, and the environment. They develop conceptual linkages among renewable resources, trade, and international goods, with consideration to both developed and developing economies. They then offer varying ways of measuring critical linkages, and, finally, they identify areas in need of further research. A contentious issue in international relations today is the linkage of trade and the environment. Increased interest in this subject led to an environmental side-agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement. In addition, the incorporation of environmental concerns into international trade rules will be one of the first items of business of the new World Trade Organization. Strong concerns over the impact of environmental regulations on international competitiveness ensure the ongoing debate a place at the top of the U.S. policy agenda as well.In this timely volume, an international group of economists, trade negotiators, and environmentalists brings diverse perspectives to bear on the nexus of trade and the environment. Providing a conceptual framework to help readers contextualize the debates, the contributors explore emerging political and economic connections between trade, international institutions, and the environment. They develop conceptual linkages among renewable resources, trade, and international goods, with consideration to both developed and developing economies. They then offer varying ways of measuring critical linkages, and, finally, they identify areas in need of further research.