Food, Fuel, and Forests: A Seminar on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Trade

Following the UN Climate Change Conference in December 2007, discussion continues about how the alarming environmental degradation caused by deforestation can be reversed. On May 12, 2008, IPC will examine this issue and also incorporate the ecological questions surrounded food production and biofuels into the debate at its 41st international seminar, to be held in Bogor, Indonesia.

Register

Taking Stock of the Doha Round Agricultural Negotiations:  Where are we and what does it really mean for the U.S.?

On May 1, 2008, IPC, IFPRI, and ICTSD hosted a discussion on the state of play in the negotiations and for an examination of what the scenarios laid out in the modalities mean in particular for U.S. exporters and producers.  The seminar also addressed how the likely U.S. gains and concessions match up to those of other WTO members.

View papers and presentations

Draft Agricultural Modalities for the Doha Round: Taking Stock of the Trade and Development Implications

The publication of Ambassador Falconer’s revised modalities draft on 8 February is a critical step in the Doha Round. WTO Members must now reflect on the extent to which the proposed modalities live up to the mandated objectives of the Round, take stock of
probable gains and losses, and examine potential trade-offs between negotiating areas. By providing a forum for stakeholders to explore empirical assessments of the
implications of the draft text for specific products, from specific exporters and in specific markets, ICTSD, IPC and IFPRI hope that WTO Members will be able to reach informed decisions on the next steps to take in the negotiations and enable a range of stakeholders to understand better the issues at stake.

> View forum papers and presentations.

Sustainability in Food and Agriculture: The Role of the Private Sector and Government
Recognizing that agriculture and food security face a range of pressing challenges from increasing population growth to global warming, IPC hosted an international seminar in October 2007 in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England, to discuss how the private sector and governments can best address these sustainability challenges. The seminar included discussion of the role of trade in the sustainability debate.
> View the conference report and see the presentations.

US and EU Policies Should Expedite Sustainable Biofuels
Both the U.S. and the EU are presently considering significant increases in their biofuels mandates in transportation fuel.  IPC’s  latest study, An Examination of U.S. and EU Government Support to Biofuels: Early Lessons, finds that in the absence of commercially viable second-generation biofuels, ambitious mandates coupled with high tariffs that serve to largely limit tax incentives to domestic producers, risk a disproportionate focus on U.S. and EU first-generation biofuels.

About IPC

IPC promotes a more open and equitable global food system by pursuing pragmatic trade and development policies in food and agriculture to meet the world's growing needs. Find out more.