Description

As WTO Members shift an ever greater proportion of their subsidy spending into the Green Box, it becomes increasingly important to look closely at the extent to which these subsidies may have trade-distorting effects or effects on production, and the subsequent implications of this for the achievement of public policy and sustainable development goals. Little attention has however been paid to this issue to date, and only partial progress has been achieved in the WTO negotiations. Regardless of what happens in the Doha Round, the issue of Green Box support is likely to be at the heart of future discussions on the reform of the global agricultural trading system in the months and years to come.

The meeting aims to explore issues around Green Box subsidies and their impact on national public policy goals and sustainable development in both developing and developed countries. It further seeks to identify a research and action agenda that will support trade negotiators and policy-makers who are trying to establish meaningful links between these different areas.