Regional Integration and Food Security in Developing Countries

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Regional trade arrangements are increasingly important elements of the global trade environment. However, especially when developing countries are concerned, there are differing viewpoints on the desirability and the efficient design of regional integration. This document reviews the regional integration debat for those involved in the preparation of food security strategies as part of programmes for developing countries. The document is aimed at providing a better understanding of the motivation, processes and constraints to regional integration and cooperation, and at identifying the potential role of these arrangement in promoting food security. It directly addresses issues such as the impact of regional integration on food security in developing countries and how these regional groupings might contribute to promoting food security  how poverty and hunger can be alleviated by regional integration  and the possible opportunities for regional integration to promote food security.  Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction  The resurgence of regionalism, Growing complexity of RTAs, Characteristics of integration schemes, Politicial commitment and regional integration, Donor attitudes to regionalism, Aims and structure of the document Chapter 2: Economic Aspects Of Regional Integration  The traditional approach to regional trade arrangments, Modern contributions, Developmental regionalism, The new regionalism, Regionalism and services trade, Regulatory coordination  toward deeper integration  Implications for convergence, Implications for developing countries, Numerical example of trade creation and diversion  Chapter 3: Institutional Aspects Of Regional Integration  The issue of sovereignty, The scope of regionalism, Sustainability of regional integration arrangements, Implications of institutional design for developing countries  Chapter 4: Legal Aspects Of Regional Integration What the WTO rules say about RTAs, Controversies in the interpretation of WTO rules, WTO rules on regionalism and agriculturaltrade liberalization, Implication of WTO rules for developing countries  Chapter 5: Regionalism And Food Security Food security and poverty reduction, Trade integraton and food security, Regional cooperation and food security, Agriculture in regional integration schemes, Implications of a common agricultural market, The role of borders, The common external tariff, Coordination of domestic subsidies, Financial mechanisms, Proofing regional integration schemes for their foor security impact, Regional cooperation, Functional cooperation, Policy harmonization, Networking and benchmaking, Implications for developing countries  Chapter 6: Regional Integration In Africa  African regionalism in perspective, Reasons for the past lake of success of African regional groupings, The debate on the new regionalism in Africa, The future of regional integration in Africa  Chapter 7: Conclusions  Welfare consequences of regional integration, Implications of institutional design for developing countries, Implications of WTO rules for developing countries, Regionalism and food security in developing countries.