Title : Trade policies and organic food
Abstract:
Organic foods are produced using farming methods that may be less harmful to the environment while also leading to foods that are better for human health. Many environmental ethicists who believe that there is a moral obligation to protect the environment may view organic food as more sustainable and thus ethically superior to conventional food. Some scholars believe that access to safe and nutritious food is a human right seeing organic production as a viable means to achieve this right. Attributes such as healthiness and sustainability are invisible to consumers of organic products. Organic foods are differentiated from conventional alternatives because they are produced through different processes (characterized by crop rotation, the absence of synthetic fertilizers, and biological control of pests rather than chemical treatments) as opposed to having different physical attributes. In the absence of information that reliably communicates these desirable characteristics, organic foods can only compete on price and as they are usually more expensive to produce, there will be little incentive for markets to form. Setting up standards and a system to label or certify organic foods can help consumers in making an informed choice. Since countries may differ in how they define standards and certify organic foods, there is a potential for trade conflicts.
