Multifunctional agriculture

This Current Affairs Brief examines the "multiple functions" of agriculture -- including food security, environmental protection and the viability of rural areas -- and the debate underway for the present World Trade Organization Round. It considers the parties to the debate, summarises the underlying issues and discusses the components of multifunctionality -- putting all of this into the context of existing WTO rules. The paper concludes with some thoughts on the implications for Australia if multifunctionality is accepted as a basis for expansion of domestic subsidies in the WTO