Agricultural Trade Liberalization: Time to Close Windows of Exception

Agriculture is the economic activity that still provides a livelihood for the majority of people, especially the poor. Every effort thus needs to be made towards making this sector more productive and able to sustain a better quality of life for those who remain dependent on agriculture as a livelihood while also indirectly contributing to improved welfare among the remainder of the pollution. This understanding has not always been the driving force behind policymaking. It took the Uruguay Round to start mainstreaming agricultural trade into the multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization in 1995. Although a latecomer, agriculture is now at centre stage of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, and, in the view of many, is holding the Doha Round captive as it prevents agreements in other areas of negotiations until members concur on agricultural trade liberalization.