Reports

Harvesting Fuel: Cutting Costs and Reducing Forest fire Hazards Through Biomass Harvest

This study was designed to provide information on two sets of challenges to the development of biomass markets in and around the Superior National Forest: 1) economic and operational issues faced by loggers; and 2) environmental constraints of concern to and managers, scientists and policymakers involved in developing and refining biomass harvest practices.

U.S. China Agreement on Food Safety: Terms and Enforcement Capacity

A review of the U.S. China food safety agreement summarizing the views of U.S. Congressional investigators who doubted that the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) could effectively implement and enforce the hundreds of pages of new food safety rules.

Import Food Safety in the Twilight of the Bush Administration

In 2007, 30 million pounds of ground beef was pulled off the U.S. market in a series of twenty recalls because of contamination concerns. The recalls highlight serious concerns in our deregulated food safety system. Over the last decade we've reduced the number of food safety inspectors and instead rely more on the food industry to regulate itself.

Biofuel and Global Biodiversity

A Time of High Prices: An Opportunity for the Rural Poor?

This new paper by IATP finds that governments have been limited in their ability to help farmers take advantage of higher prices – due to free trade economics pushed by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization.

Turning High Prices Into an Opportunity: What is Needed

The global food crisis is an opportunity for the international community to provide greater support for agriculture in countries that are struggling with hunger.

The Multilateral Trade and Investment Context for Biofuels: Issues and Challenges

This paper explains how international trade and investment rules will influence the development of the global biofuels sector.  

The World Bank's WDR 2008: Agriculture and Development - Response from a Slow Trade, Sound Farming Perspective

For the first time in 25 years, the World Bank's annual Development Report (WDR 2008) is dedicated to agriculture. This review of the WDR 2008 is written from the perspective of the EcoFair Trade Reform Proposal.

Biofuels and Global Water Challenges

The growth of the biofuel industry poses a number of challenges to water quantity and quality around the world.

Lessons From NAFTA: Building a New Fair Trade Agenda

In 2007 IATP organized the conference "Lessons from NAFTA: Building a New Fair Trade Agenda" which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With 45 groups signed on as co-sponsors, the conference was attended by over 250 people, including representatives from the media; the Minnesota state government; the Mexican and Canadian embassies; representatives from the Canadian, Mexican and U.S.