How the WTO can help foster cooperation on sustainable agriculture and trade

The document highlights the tension between global trade and agricultural sustainability, noting that while trade is essential for food security, it can exacerbate deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that while individual governments can implement sustainable trade tools, collective action through the WTO would increase effectiveness. The author suggests several avenues for this cooperation, including reinvigorating existing committees, utilizing the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), or adopting a dedicated dialogue proposed by Brazil.

• Current global food systems are largely unsustainable, with food insecurity increasing by 20% between 2018 and 2022. The FAO estimated that between 713–757 million people were chronically at risk of insufficient food for a healthy life in 2023, and 35.5% of the global population could not afford a healthy diet in 2022.
• Agriculture is a major driver of environmental damage; between 2000 and 2018, agricultural expansion caused 88% of global deforestation, with cropland and livestock grazing accounting for 50% and 38% respectively. Additionally, food systems contribute up to 34% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
• International trade is critical for food access but creates vulnerabilities because agricultural markets are thin, with only 23% of production traded internationally on average. This leaves many countries dependent on a few exporters and susceptible to price volatility and supply chain disruptions.
• The WTO currently lacks a single dedicated forum for sustainable agriculture. Potential avenues for cooperation include the Committee on Trade and Environment, the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture (CoA-SS), the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), or a dedicated dialogue proposed by Brazil under the General Council.

APA

Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (2024). How the WTO can help foster cooperation on sustainable agriculture and trade. https://tessforum.org/latest/how-the-wto-can-help-foster-cooperation-on-sustainable-agriculture-and-trade-2

Chicago

Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs. How the WTO can help foster cooperation on sustainable agriculture and trade. 2024. https://tessforum.org/latest/how-the-wto-can-help-foster-cooperation-on-sustainable-agriculture-and-trade-2.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs |title=How the WTO can help foster cooperation on sustainable agriculture and trade |date=9 September 2024 |url=https://tessforum.org/latest/how-the-wto-can-help-foster-cooperation-on-sustainable-agriculture-and-trade-2 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{forumontradeenvironmentthesdgs2024how, author = {{Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}}, title = {{How the WTO can help foster cooperation on sustainable agriculture and trade}}, publisher = {Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://tessforum.org/latest/how-the-wto-can-help-foster-cooperation-on-sustainable-agriculture-and-trade-2}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }