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Current System Of Trade And The Globalization Of The Production Of Food

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In this first chapter I will look at the historical events that have led up to our current system of trade and the globalization of the production of food that we see today. As throughout this dissertation I will focus mainly on institutions and how they have shaped and continue to shape policy production and the relationship of trade between states. Institutions provide a clear blueprint through which we can see the historical progression of the globalization of food trade, and furthermore, as powerful players, we can see where the influence and discourse behind the drive for international trade comes from. In the second part I will discuss who the drivers of these institutions are, and how this ultimately affects the discourse and …show more content…

Current global events and economic and political issues historically have always influenced attitudes of the public and of governments towards trade. Looking historically from around 1848 during the time of the repealing of the Corn Laws in the UK until the creation of GATT, the international trade system has see-sawed between protectionist policies to liberal policies and back again. Pre-1848 the Corn Laws in Britain had provided a high level of protection for British produced agricultural products, however these laws were repealed in 1848 during a period of political reform in Britain and towards more liberal free trade policies (Krasner, 1976, p. 324). This was during a time of famine in Europe, so freer trade laws were seen as a necessary way of feeding the population. In 1860 the Cobden Chevalier Treaty between the UK and France continued this period of liberal trade policies, and trade between the UK and France flourished. Generally speaking between the 1830s and 1870s trade flourished within Europe, with the UK securing its dominant position of economic hegemon during this period. This was not to last, in the 1860s, due to innovations in technology the price of grain plummeted, as markets were flooded with excess produce. What followed was a series of protectionist policies throughout Europe, with grain prices going down,

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