The successful completion of the GATT negotiations and the North American Free Trade Agreement and the completion of the EC Internal Market mean that food and agricultural sectors must become internationally competitive. Firms, farm organizations, and governments are seeking to identify strategies and public policies that will increase their compet

This book is based on the proceedings of a conference held in June 1996 under co-sponsorship of the International Agricultural Trade Consortium and The Retail Food Industry Center. The International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium (lA TRC) is a group of 160 economists from 16 countries who are interested in fostering research relating to international trade of agricultural products and commodities and providing a forum for the exchange of ideas. Each summer the IATRC sponsors a symposium on a topic relating to trade and trade policy from which proceedings are published. A list of past symposia and related publications may be obtained from Laura Bipes, IATRC Executive Director, Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108.

This book examines an array of different distortions that are causing food supply chain dysfunction in many countries. It outlines the underlying changes that are currently occurring, which will have an influence on the direction of future food supply chains, and provides some solutions to the current food security problem.

The Global Urban Competitiveness Report 2010 is an empirical study of the competitiveness of 500 cities around the world. This one-of-a-kind annual resource draws on a wealth of data sources, all of which are described and assessed. Using a sophisticated methodology and a team of 100 researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Science, the book not only ranks these cities but also presents a wealth of information with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of each city in relation to each other. The book includes a full discussion of the factors that create urban competitiveness, what sorts or categories of cities are most competitive, and comments on the policies and initiatives that are adopted by the most competitive cities. Scholars and researchers in the areas of urban economics, planning, geography and regional economics will find the information invaluable as will local authorities, decision-makers, and economic planners in cities throughout the world.

Available research suggests that less developed countries have significant competitive advantage over developed countries in three major areas of international trade: agriculture, textiles and clothing (T&C), and cross-border labor mobility. Incidentally, these are also the trade sectors which experienced widespread protectionist measures, especially in developed world, for decade after decade. Under the World Trade Organization (WTO), which replaced the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) in 1995, much of the restrictions in T&C trade has been phased out, but still this sector faces much higher tariff and non-tariff barriers than any other manufacturing sector in world economy. The agricultural sector also experienced significant dismantling of deeply entrenched trade barriers under the WTO over the course of last two decades, but the sector still remains plagued with quite extensive domestic supports, export subsidies, and tariff barriers. At the same time, despite both theoretical expositions and empirical trends point to significant potential gains from cross-border labor mobility, the sector remains mired in a complex quagmire of economic and political restrictions around the world. Thus, all three sectors in which less developed countries have exports interests still remain less liberalized than the sectors in which developed countries have exports interests. This book provides an in-depth and up-to-date scholarly analysis of all three trade sectors—agriculture, T&C and cross-border labor mobility—with a penetrating scrutiny of historical backgrounds and developments, crosscurrents of interests and perspectives of both developed and developing countries, and evolving trade patterns and potentials in a more liberalized and globalized world economy. The book also identifies critical economic issues and options for less developed countries in the WTO negotiations for further liberalization of agriculture, T&C, and cross-border labor mobility. This volume will be an important point of reference for students, scholars, and practitioners of international trade, economic development, development economics, and WTO-related issues.

The successful completion of the GATT negotiations and the North American Free Trade Agreement and the completion of the EC Internal Market mean that food and agricultural sectors must become internationally competitive. Firms, farm organizations, and governments are seeking to identify strategies and public policies that will increase their compet

This review of competitiveness and private sector development in the Ukraine includes diagnosis and policy actions for policy makers and advisors, offering policy responses to underpin economic diversification, enhanced competitiveness and private sector development.