The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Poverty in the Poultry Sector in Suriname

More than half of the Surinamese population lives in poverty. The government has not been effective in reducing the levels of poverty in recent years. Therefore it is necessary to approach poverty alleviation in a different manner. One approach is thru the private sector, by opening the economy to foreign trade and investment. One then has to study the effects of globalization and international trade agreements on various sectors in the economy. Furthermore, there is an ongoing debate about Suriname's WTO commitments and their effects on the economy. This study looks at the poultry sector as a case study. Many aspects of international trade affect the local producers and consumers of poultry, both directly and indirectly, in both negative and positive ways. This paper discusses the effects of Suriname's international trade commitments in this specific industry.