Books

The effects of agricultural environment-related provisions in regional trade agreements on agricultural trade

Brandi, Clara / Jakob Schwab
Books (2026)

Rome: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

ISBN: 978-92-5-140666-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4060/cd9495en

As environmental challenges, including climate change and biodiversity loss, increasingly shape global policy discussions, the integration of environmental concerns into regional trade agreements (RTAs) has gained significant importance. A novel database on environment-related provisions for agriculture, fisheries, and forestry (Ag-ERPs) in RTAs allows us to analyse their effects on trade and environmental outcomes. Putting the spotlight on sustainable agricultural practices, these provisions aim to ensure that trade liberalization does not come at the cost of environmental degradation. Agriculture-related environmental provisions can most directly contribute to positive environmental outcomes by altering the trade flows of partner countries within the respective RTAs. The purpose of this study is therefore to explore how Ag-ERPs influence agricultural trade flows between partner countries, with specific emphasis on the composition of trade and the environmental outcomes these provisions might foster. The study analyses the impact of Ag-ERPs on agricultural trade flows using bilateral trade data, which allows for a detailed examination of product-level trade patterns. It looks at both economic and environmental effects.

About the IDOS authors

Further IDOS experts