New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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The role of grasslands in world food trade: projections of future trade policy reforms*

Allan N. Rae

Department of Applied and International
Economics
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
A.N.Rae@massey.ac.nz

Abstract  Consumption of livestock products has been increasing rapidly, especially in the developing world. Demand for non-ruminant meats has been increasing more rapidly than that for ruminant meats. This has been accompanied by rapid supply growth, especially in industrial grains-based livestock production systems. As a consequence, the importance of grasslands in livestock production and trade has been declining. Barriers to trade in livestock products are generally much higher for products that can be produced on grasslands (i.e., dairy products and ruminant meats) than for non-ruminant meats, despite the achievements of the Uruguay Round. A new WTO Round of agricultural trade negotiations began in March 2000, and this paper simulates outcomes of possible new trade agreements. Trade reforms that are inclusive of the more heavily protected grasslands products are projected to provide a boost to grassland livestock farming and therefore to moderate the downward trend in grasslands’ contribution to livestock production and trade.

Keywords  grasslands; trade barriers; WTO reforms; projections; policy simulation; dairy; meat

*This is a revised version of a paper presented at the XIX International Grassland Congress, Sao Pedro, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 11–21 February 2001.
A01016 Received 10 May 2001; accepted 24 September 2001
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2002, Vol. 45: 35–47
0028–8233/02/4501–0035 $7.00/0 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2002

PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality

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