Over three quarters of WTO members identify themselves as developing countries. Recognizing the important role played by multilaterally agreed-upon rules in governing global trade, these countries are increasingly active participants in the current multilateral trade negotiations and have submitted numerous negotiating proposals on a broad array of issues. The Doha Declaration, which launched the current set of multilateral negotiations, makes developing country issues an integral part of the disucssions. This has resulted in a departure from using the term "round," with WTO members opting instead for "Doha Development Agenda" to reflect the new emphasis.

Developing countries have interests in the three main agricultural trade issues—market access, domestic support, and export competition. However, they also have particular interests in such wide-ranging issues as food security, rural development, and financial and technical assistance. The issues vary in importance by geographic region and by income levels.

Some developing country interests are reflected in the idea of a "development box." In past negotiations as well as the present one, the developing countries generally have lobbied for special and differential treatment (encompassing, for example, lower tariff rate cuts over longer periods of time). The development box would encompass some aspects of special and different treatment while also containing provisions that would apply only to developing countries. For example, some countries have made specific proposals, such as exemptions from tariff cuts for staple crops, while others have called for broad policy flexibility to address issues such as poverty alleviation, rural development, and agricultural diversification. Other development box proposals would streamline current safeguards and countervailing mechanisms to make it easier for developing countries to use these tools to protect import markets.

Food security, an important issue for low-income net-food-deficit countries, could be affected directly by rising international food prices, increased price volatility, and declining food aid. One proposal is to create international financial facilities and emergency/buffer food stocks to address food security concerns and serve as a price stabilization scheme. However, other issues (such as those listed above) indirectly affect food security in complex ways through their effects on income growth and foreign exchange earnings or through regulatory processes.

The readings below address the trade concerns of developing countries, including those related to food security. New readings relating to developing country trade issues will be posted as they become available.

• EU Preferential Trading Agreements: Heightened Competition for U.S., Agricultural Outlook, December 2001
• Impacts of Agricultural Policy Reform on Low-Income Countries, Agricultural Policy Reform in the WTO—The Road Ahead, May 2001
• Implications of Trade Liberalization on Food Security of Low-Income Countries, AIB 765-5, April 2001
• Low-Income Developing Countries and Trade Liberalization: An Overview of the Issues, Food Security Assessment IATR, December 1999
• Trade Liberalization and the Sub-Saharan African Countries, Food Security Assessment IATR, December 1999
• Trade Issues for Low-Income Countries in the Latin America and Carribean Region, Food Security Assessment IATR, December 1999
• Trade Liberalization and the South Asian Economies: Adjusting to the Challenges of Globalization, Food Security Assessment IATR, December 1999
• Developing Countries' Issues in the WTO Related to Agriculture, Agriculture in the WTO, December 1998

for more information, contact: John Wainio
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page updated: October 6, 2003