Global Food Insecurity and the Unequal Playing Field in World Agriculture

Abstract

세계화의 시대에 살고 있는 우리 인류가 아직 직면한 문제중의 하나가 지구촌의 식량위기이다. 이 논문의 핵심 주장은, 지구촌의 식량위기 해결을 위해서는 식량을 수입에 의존하는 그리고 빈곤율이 높은 개도국들의 농업발전이 필수적인데, 그러한 농업발전은 선진국농업에 유리하게 설계된 국제무역의 규칙들을 (기울어진 경기장) 고쳐야 가능하다는 것이다. 완전한 농산물 무역자유화가 기울어진 운동장을 고칠수도 있지만, 여러가지 이유로 무역자유화는 불가능하고, 그 다음의 차선책으로 저자는 개발상자 (Development/Food Security Box)와 같이 식량수입 개도국들에게 농업발전 정책을 펼칠 수 있는 여지를 만들어 주는 것이 중요하다고 주장한다.

Global food insecurity is a challenge of grave importance that our humanity confronts still in the era of globalization in the 21st century. The article critically assesses the role of agricultural trade in coping with the challenge. In particular, it highlights how the lack of a level playing field in agricultural trade poses an obstacle in promoting global food security. Referring to institutions and rules governing international trade, the playing field in agricultural trade has grown unequal and biased against the agriculture of developing countries during the postwar period due to agricultural protection (tax) in developed (developing) countries and the current WTO trade rules. Full liberalization of agricultural trade may or may not repair the uneven playing field, hence it is not certain whether it would be effective in ameliorating the global food insecurity problem and in boosting agricultural growth in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, which represent the two regions most vulnerable to food insecurity. However, agricultural trade liberalization is not expected in the future for political and other reasons. The article contends then that the next best strategy is to mend the uneven playing field by instituting a mechanism like the Development/Food Security Box which is comparable to the Green Box for the agriculture of developed countries.