Sustainable agriculture and global institutions: Emerging institutions and mixed incentives

Global considerations and international initiatives have a significant impact on a nation's policy choices and directions. As societies and their economies become increasingly integrated, new institutions of global governance will significantly shape political and economic behavior on both national and subnational levels. Given this context, the evolution of sustainable development as a conceptual and policy framework in agriculture will be partly determined by the emerging international rules governing trade and the environment. With North America as the primary focus, this article examines the current institutional frameworks of GATT (now the WTO), and NAFTA and identifies the (dis)incentives and opportunities they provide for agricultural production and sustainability.