Trade liberalization and environmental quality in agriculture

Trade and environment have become the preoccupation of economists concerned with environmental protection, and of environmentalists concerned that protection of the environment may sometimes require protectionist trade policies. There are two distinct facets of this preoccupation. The first is the effect of trade liberalization on environmental quality. The second is the untoward use of environmental measures as a form of nontariff trade barrier (reflected in the recent tuna-dolphin ruling of GATT), and the general use of border measures - such as export or import bans to prevent trade in hazardous materials or endangered species. This article focuses on the environmental impacts of trade liberalization. The principal examples and cases will be drawn from the agricultural sector. This article synthesizes existing empirical studies. -from Author