Search results for ""Author William A. Kerr""

As the world population increases, food security is a major global issue. This book provides an in-depth examination of the three necessary conditions for the achievement of food security: (1) availability of food; (2) adequate incomes and (3) increasing agricultural productivity. The author draws lessons from history, explores these three conditions and discusses the prospect of feeding an expected nine billion people in 2050.The author discusses the major factors inhibiting food being available and explores how these constraints can be lifted. First, the book describes conditions necessary for food to be truly, consistently available. Second, adequate incomes and programs such as food stamps and foodbanks are explored. Third, the drivers of increasing agricultural productivity are examined.Agricultural economists and scientists, food policy practitioners in government and international organizations and food aid NGOs, and students of agriculture and public policy will find Food Security as thought-provoking as it is informative.

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`The Estey Centre Journal of International Law and Trade Policy has become required reading among trade policy specialists, not least for Bill Kerr's "Editor's Pages" essay in each volume. Kerr has the ability in a dozen pages to engage, inform and entertain the reader with his careful scholarship, interesting choice of topic and highly-readable style. Kerr sets the tone for the volume and whets the appetite for the other articles. Over the ten years of the Estey Journal's life Kerr's pages have drawn our attention to a range of trade-law topics from the golf-club-like voting rules of the WTO to the delights of sipping incorrectly-labeled port. The decision to bring these twenty short papers together in a volume was inspired. Students and teachers will benefit from the convenience of the collection as source material for classes on trade law and policy. But above all, scholars in the fascinating area of the interplay of economics and law in multilateral trade institutions will have the wisdom of Bill Kerr readily to hand.' - Tim Josling, Stanford University, US After 15 years the WTO is not functioning as envisioned and is faced with many new trade challenges − climate change, terrorism, pandemics, genetically modified organisms, food safety − which it is ill-equipped to handle. Conflict, Chaos and Confusion sheds light on this deep and acute crisis, focusing on contentious and complex new trade issues and how they will affect international trade in the future. William Kerr demonstrates that there is no obvious way forward out of the current antagonistic climate. In the absence of any constructive initiatives the system appears chaotic. Everyone from seasoned trade policy veterans, business people engaging in international transactions, to domestic politicians and voters seem confused and apprehensive given the complexity of the problems brought by globalization. In just over a decade, the WTO has gone from an institution that was imbued with considerable optimism to one in deep crisis. The author explores in detail the major issues confronting the international trading system that have hitherto not enjoyed a great deal of attention. He provides insights that will inform the debate and discounts some of the simplistic solutions that are all too often proffered. Informative, accessible and thought provoking, this book combines economic analysis with law, political science and institutional development within an historical context. As such, it will prove a fascinating read for a wide ranging audience encompassing academics and students of economics, international economics and international law, trade officials in both governments and NGOs, as well as trade policymakers in developing and developed countries.

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The Handbook on International Trade Policy is an insightful and comprehensive reference tool focusing on trade policy issues in the era of globalization. Each specially commissioned chapter deals with important international trade issues, discusses the current literature on the subject, and explores major controversies. The Handbook also directs the interested reader to further sources of information.The expert contributors cover both traditional and more current concerns including: history of thought on trade policy the development of multilateral organizations such as the World Trade Organization border restrictions and subsidies regional trade agreements trade and the environment animal, plant and food safety measures international protection of intellectual property and sanctions. Presenting a broad and state-of-the-art perspective on the topic, this highly accessible Handbook will prove an invaluable resource to researchers, academics, policymakers and practitioners concerned with international trade policy.

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In this unique work, Jennifer Considine and William Kerr contend that while OPEC currently dominates the international oil market, Russia will be a key player in the future international energy market. Indeed, Russia's petroleum resources rival those of Saudi Arabia.More than almost any other industry, future performance is often determined by the influence of decisions made in the past. This book provides a detailed history of the development of the Russian oil economy in order to build up a comprehensive and discerning picture of its future role and significance in the global energy market of the 21st century.The authors of this path-breaking treatment of the Russian oil economy present: an assessment of the effects of the political and macroeconomic development of the Russian Federation and former Soviet Union on the resources, reserves and infrastructure of the current oil industry an economic evaluation of the contemporary policies and institutions in the Russian Federation, including policy recommendations and forecasts detailed statistics on all aspects of the Russian oil industry, including reserves, production, five-year planning targets, government policy, and tax rates, from 1860-2001. The Russian Oil Economy will be of enormous interest to a wide-ranging audience, encompassing oil industry executives and analysts, investment bankers, energy consultants, energy policymakers, and those involved in the study, teaching and research of energy, Russian history and transition.

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The Handbook on International Trade Policy is an insightful and comprehensive reference tool focusing on trade policy issues in the era of globalization. Each specially commissioned chapter deals with important international trade issues, discusses the current literature on the subject, and explores major controversies. The Handbook also directs the interested reader to further sources of information.The expert contributors cover both traditional and more current concerns including: history of thought on trade policy the development of multilateral organizations such as the World Trade Organization border restrictions and subsidies regional trade agreements trade and the environment animal, plant and food safety measures international protection of intellectual property and sanctions. Presenting a broad and state-of-the-art perspective on the topic, this highly accessible Handbook will prove an invaluable resource to researchers, academics, policymakers and practitioners concerned with international trade policy.

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Trade negotiations are complex interactive processes that bring a combination of existing trade law, the pleadings of special interests and economic theory together in the give and take of compromise, bluff and strategic alliances.Trade disputes involving food and other agricultural products - controversial subjects such as genetically modified foods and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - are the subject of newspaper headlines almost daily. As developing countries demand improved access to European and US markets for their products, international trade has moved into a new era and is now at the heart of trade negotiations.Economic Analysis for International Trade Negotiations provides an analytical framework in which to examine the complex economic issues which arise in international trade negotiations. This framework is developed using examples arising from current contentious issues in the international trade in agricultural products including market access, subsidies, non-tariff barriers, health regulations and biotechnology. The volume concludes with a discussion on the future of trade.Providing a link between economic theory and the WTO, this comprehensive volume will be of great interest to academics specialising in international trade, international relations, agri-business and international business.

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The Economics of Biotechnology is a highly accessible book dealing with some of the most crucial issues to arise in this area. Special attention is paid to consumer, ethical and environmental concerns as well as questions relating to trade policy, intellectual property, who will receive the benefits, international development and the role of international institutions such as the WTO.The authors examine concerns arising from the application of biotechnology in the agri-food industrial complex, and many of the issues discussed also have implications for the medical and pharmaceutical aspects of biotechnology.Fundamental questions regarding the application of standard economic analysis to biotechnology are resolved using traditional neo-classical analyses as well as less mainstream methods. Through exploring a number of approaches, original and unexpected conclusions are reached.This coherent and relevant treatment of the myriad facets of biotechnology will be welcomed by academics, scholars, and economists with a specific interest in international economics or technology, international policymakers, and economic commentators.

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The expanding membership of the EU means significant changes for accession countries' international trade relations, affecting imports, exports, tax revenues, government expenditures and domestic regulatory regimes. There are also significant ramifications for the EU budget. This book is a valuable comprehensive tool kit for analysing the economic effect of EU accession, using examples from the most complex sector for both candidate countries and the EU itself - agriculture. The authors provide a complete set of market configurations with which to analyse harmonisation with the Common Agriculture Policy in both the long and short run. It also provides insights into the questions of regulatory harmonisation in areas of food safety, animal and plant health, the environment, animal welfare, technical standards and the protection of intellectual property. Background is provided on the EU and its policies, economic developments in transition economies and the accession process. The book also provides a unique insight into how negotiating positions can be developed.A wide audience will find this book of great value and interest including policymakers and analysts in governments and related think tanks, businesses and consultancy firms trading in the EU. Scholars and researchers of European studies, international trade and agriculture will also find the book invaluable.

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Trade and the environment has become a major issue in international relations, yet the surrounding debate remains polarised and hostile. This book answers the question: Can an international liability regime facilitate international trade while fostering environmental sustainability?On the one hand, the authors argue, international trade is perceived as a major threat to environmental sustainability, whilst on the other, trade and the economic development arising from it is seen as the prerequisite to stronger environmental protection. Nowhere is the debate more acrimonious than over trade in genetically modified organisms. The Biosafety Protocol has been negotiated to govern trade in genetically modified products and includes provisions for an international liability regime to facilitate trade - a subject that has been little studied. This valuable study explores the role, design and potential effectiveness of such a regulating body and addresses questions such as - what are the options for an international environmental liability regime? Why are some options unworkable? Is there a set of options that will achieve the dual goals of trade facilitation and environmental protection? Is international liability the best option for defusing the trade and environment debate?This illuminating book will be an essential read for scholars and students (senior undergraduate as well as postgraduate) of international trade policy, environmental economics, international politics and international law. Individuals working in international organizations, those employed by environmental NGOs and government policy makers will also find much to engage them within this book.

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