Environmental impacts of trade liberalisation
Trade liberalisation, rural poverty and the environment: a wide-ranging review of the debates
Literature review on trade liberalisation, rural poverty and the environment
Authors:
R. Cleetus; Macroeconomics Program Office
Publisher:
WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature , 2005
As part of a joint WWF- World Bank project on trade liberalisation, rural poverty and the environment, this literature review highlights some of the main strands of thought in this debate. Perspectives from academia, civil society, NGOs, research institutions, indigenous peoples, international agencies and the private sector, from the North and from the South are taken into account.
The literature review reveals some recurring themes of interest:
- for the most part the existing literature tends to focus on links between trade and the environment, links between trade and growth,poverty, inequality or links between environment and poverty
- there is little that cuts across all these subjects
- the theme of good governance emerges often. The importance of strong and legitimate institutions is highlighted in several articles and by several stakeholders
- there is a clear need for and importance of a multidisciplinary approach that brings to bear the combined expertise of social scientists and natural scientists.
