Global Dialogue amongst Stakeholders: The Future of Agriculture
30th – 31st May 2008 • Co-organised with International Chair WTO; Regional Integration (University of Barcelona); International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC)
At a time of rapid and critical changes in technology, markets and environmental and social conditions affecting agriculture, the objective of the Dialogue was to explore underlying causes and prospects for sustainability.
This dialogue convened academics, politicians, and officials from governments and international organisations as well as representatives from civil society organisations and the business sector. This dialogue sought to bridge the gap among these communities in order to promote a debate on the main issues related to the future of agriculture. This dialogue sought to enrich the capacity of both the private and the public sectors to make practical decisions in agricultural and trade policy.
This meeting featured three sessions: 1) The Doha Round and the International Framework for Agricultural Policies; 2) Changes in the Structure of World Agricultural Production and Demand; and 3) Agriculture, Climate Change and Sustainable Development. As you know, growing populations and increasing incomes in developing countries along with the diversion of food crops to biofuels will more than double the demand for food by 2050. At the same time, climate change will alter the productivity of land and impact the livelihoods of millions of farmers. International trade can help address these issues, but right now the multilateral negotiations process is mired in disagreement. Charting a policy course that can resolve these conflicts and constraints was the goal of the forum. Furthermore, we intended for this to be the first of an annual dialogue to engage these difficult topics.