Food Safety and Trade Liberalization in an Age of Globalization

Food Safety and Trade Liberalization in an Age of Globalization C trust of food producers and the governments that regulate them is in notable decline throughout the world, due to frequent and recurring instances of food contamination. Yet consumer trust is pivotal in order to sustain the increasingly globalized nature of food production, processing, and distribution in the international trading relations of states. With an increasing population, rapid urbanization and rise of the middle class, the demand for processed food is increasing signifi cantly, and thus presents inherent risks for food safety and sustainability. Th e challenge of ensuring eff ective global food safety standards is inexorably linked to the progressive trade liberalization agenda of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In a globalized world, food-borne outbreaks, like air-borne infectious diseases, disregard the geopolitical boundaries of sovereign states. Food products grown in one part of the world, because of advancements in food production trends and burgeoning international trade between states, are now easily transported to other regions of the world. International trade norms and policies often focus predominantly on traded goods and services, especially “Northern” access to “Southern” markets. Founded on the free trade agenda of market access, and driven by the principles of “National Treatment” and “Most Favoured Nation”, the international trading system—with nation-states as the dominant actors—is asymmetrical in nature. Very often, the international trading system does not eff ectively address the many fundamental and pressing issues related to environmental degradation, pesticide use and chemical dependency common in modern agricultural practices. International consensus regarding global production methods and sustainability throughout the food chain are key requirements to improving global food safety standards. Existing food safety initiatives and policies focus primarily on hazards in food. Th ere is a need for a broader conception and regulation of risk along the entire food production chain involving food production, processing, packaging, labelling, transport, and sale to consumers. Th e European Union’s comprehensive “farm to fork” food safety approach, for example, highlights the imperative of the collective eff ort and responsibility of governments, industry and civil society to earn consumer trust, and build transparency at all levels of food production—a Overview