Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Argentina

This report examines the intersection of international trade, foreign direct investment, and sustainable development in Argentina. It analyzes how external pressures, international agreements, and domestic factors influence the adoption of environmental and labor standards, while highlighting specific natural resource management challenges and the role of multilateral negotiations like the Kyoto Protocol.

• External pressures, primarily through multilateral agreements and the adoption of practices in developed country markets, have significantly driven domestic debate and the implementation of food safety, quality, and environmental standards in Argentina, with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) serving as a primary example.
• International pressures have had minimal impact on labor standards in Argentina due to a labor market characterized by high union participation and a lack of externally competitive sectors relying on unqualified labor, though this may change with future market transformations.
• Argentina's participation in climate change negotiations, specifically the Kyoto Protocol, has aligned with the Group of 77 and China. External influence in this area has been limited because the Argentine economy has a low polluting power regarding greenhouse-effect gases.
• Unlike other Latin American countries, Argentina lacks north-south agreements and its regional agreements, such as Mercosul, do not include commitments to sustainable trade issues, making multilateral trade and investment agreements less influential in shaping its domestic political agenda.
• The report identifies five critical natural resource management issues essential for sustainable development: the energy matrix and biofuels, fishing over-exploitation, forest degradation, the impact of mining, and "agriculturalization".

APA

Molinari,, R. B. (2009). Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Argentina. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-and-development-rising-importance-sustainable-development-trade-agenda-1

Chicago

Molinari,, Roberto Bouzas,Andrea. Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Argentina. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-and-development-rising-importance-sustainable-development-trade-agenda-1.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Molinari, |first1=Roberto Bouzas,Andrea |title=Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Argentina |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=23 April 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-and-development-rising-importance-sustainable-development-trade-agenda-1 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{molinari2009trade, author = {Molinari,, Roberto Bouzas,Andrea}, title = {{Trade and Development: The rising importance of sustainable development in the trade agenda of Argentina}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/trade-and-development-rising-importance-sustainable-development-trade-agenda-1}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }