The 60% of Ghanaian workers working in Ghanaian agriculture are mainly engaged in cocoa and food production. Cocoa is the main agricultural export, although the government has tried to diversify its export base mainly by promoting non-traditional exports. Although the Agreement on Agriculture is not solely responsible for the liberalisation of agricultural trade, it has made a significant contribution to this process. Thanks to binding commitments by WTO members, the AoA has indefinitely ”fixed” countries` liberal trade policies. Many of the changes made in the name of ”structural reform” and ”stabilization policy” are now the day-to-day policies of national governments. Combating the growing power of TNCs: Transnational corporations are at the root of the problems faced by developing countries in the context of agricultural liberalization. Although not fully documented in the report, TNCs clearly play a role in restricting developing countries` access to the export sector through their influence on the world market. The role of TNCs in global agriculture should be further researched. In particular, does the influence of the handful of TNCs that dominate the market distort prices? How do different actors in supply chains benefit? Do consumers and small farmers receive a fair offer from intermediaries? The Member Transparency Toolkit includes information on notification formats and a manual on reporting obligations, as well as links to member engagement lists and other resources to support member transparency in agriculture. National agricultural support systems are governed by the Agreement on Agriculture, which entered into force in 1995 and was negotiated in the Uruguay Round (1986-1994). The long-term objective of the AoA is to establish a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system and to initiate a reform process by negotiating support and protection commitments and establishing stronger and more operationally effective rules and discipline.
Agriculture is therefore special because the sector has its own agreement, the provisions of which prevail. Reductions in agricultural subsidies and agricultural protection agreed in the Uruguay Round. Only figures on the reduction of export subsidies are included in the agreement. The GATT 1947 originally applied to agriculture, but it was incomplete, and the signatory States (or ”Contracting Parties”) excluded this sector from the scope of the principles set out in the General Agreement. During the period 1947-1994, Members were allowed to benefit from export subsidies on primary agricultural products and to impose import restrictions under certain conditions, so that major agricultural raw materials faced trade barriers to an unusual extent in other product sectors. The road to a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system has therefore been long and difficult; And the negotiations were finally concluded in the Uruguay Round. Agriculture benefits from the benefits of WTO trade agreements and arrangements (which were signed in 1994 and signed on 1 September 1994). January 1995) have a special status, since the sector has a specific agreement, the Agreement on Agriculture, whose provisions prevail. In addition, certain provisions of the Agreement on the Application of Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) also concern agricultural production and trade.
The same applies to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) with regard to the protection of geographical indications. In addition, the provisions of the Agreement on Agriculture are complemented by the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and technical assistance mechanisms. Access to food is the most fundamental right of the consumer. Ensuring a reliable supply of safe, nutritious and affordable food should be the starting point for any discussion on the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), the World Trade Organization`s Agreement to Increase International Trade in Agricultural Products and Processed Foods. Unemployment has risen as smallholder farmers lose out due to the shift to export crops and declining government assistance. The liberalization of agricultural trade has fostered a tendency towards monopolistic control of agriculture. Liberalization has increased the number and power of food traders, who have replaced the retired state and played a role in raising food prices. The process of concentrating control on agricultural product chains has supplanted smallholder farmers. After more than 7 years of negotiations, the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations were concluded on 15 December 1993 and officially ratified in April 1994 in Marrakesh, Morocco. .
