Agricultural Policies in the Next Decade: A Global Perspective
Many countries around the world either tax agriculture or provide subsidies through trade and agricultural policies. This paper presents historical developments in the United States, European Union, Canada, China, India, and Thailand, which generally subsidize agriculture although the level of subsidization has decreased because of the significant rise in commodity prices. While progress has been made in lowering tariff and non-tariff barriers around the world with positive outcomes, the future progress in this area is questionable as evidenced by the Doha Round trade talks. Policy makers are now grappling with how to deal with price instability, uncertainty, and rising food prices.
US and EU Agricultural Policy: Divergence or Convergence?
The 2008 US Farm Bill has many similar features to the 2002 US Farm Bill where key provisions such as the target price and loan rate remain. On the other hand, the European Union is following a path of more decoupled payments, especially given the reforms in 2003 and afterward. However, many of the elements of either farm program may no longer be of significance if high commodity prices remain, many of which are above US target prices. High prices have caused many countries to lower tariff and nontariff barriers. In the context of high prices, the welfare costs of both the US and EU policies have been greatly reduced. However, especially for the European Union, there remains a large income transfer from the treasury to farmers since, under decoupling, farmers are given annual payments at least through 2013. Given the single farm payment scheme of the European Union, farmers are allowed to respond to high prices and, in addition, collect a subsidy from the treasury under the rubric of decoupling. Producers have collected double rents: from the market and the government.
REFORMA DO ESTADO E AS POLÍTICAS PARA A EDUCAÇÃO SUPERIOR NO BRASIL NOS ANOS 90
This article aims at discussing the federal policies for higher education implemented in Brazil in the 1990s. It assumes that such policies are based on socio-political choices and interests linked to the changes occurring in the contemporary Brazilian scene, changes that have deep historical roots, which emerge in the process of reformation of the Brazilian State. This situation implies alterations in the field of public policies, and more particularly in that of social policies, since the on-going official proposals and projects are characterized by a decrease of the role of State. The borders between public and private affairs have become increasingly blurred in a process detrimental to the former. The contradictions in the federal policies for higher education are analyzed here, as well as their results as for the following fields: institutional diversification and differentiation; assessment criteria, broadening and privatization of this level of education.