Impact of W.T.O. Agreement on Agriculture in India

Book excerpt: Agriculture remains one of the most contentious issues in the ongoing negotiations of the World Trade Organization, with serious implications for food security and the livelihood of farmers in the developing world. This dissertation examines the various research papers related to this study to understand the topic in depth. Then focused on GATT which is a multi-lateral agreement regulating international trade and how WTO was formed as a successor of GATT. The functions and working of WTO have also been studied. As Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) was a very crucial factor for developing countries, pursued the general agricultural scenario in developing countries especially India. Then how India is facing issues related to AOA and what proposals India has been offering with respect to those issues were studied. Then TFA and Bali Package were also studied. Various components of Bali Package were analyzed to find the issues, which other member countries could face. The dissertation presented the reasons for India blocking the WTO and the objections which India had. The study emphasized the impact of this disapproval and benefits pursuant to disapproval; on India’s commodity market, revenue of farmers, food prices of consumers, overall negative effects of signing TFA, and why blocking TFA was a good decision and the way-ahead. Finally, it supports the narrative of increasing developing country bargaining in the WTO and shows that the Indian representatives bolster their arguments by articulating them as being in the interest of the developing world in general and India’s success in making U.S. agree for permanent peace clause.