Issue paper
Agricultural Reforms and Trade Liberalization in China and Selected Asian Countries. Lessons of Three Decades. Policy Assistance Series 6
How did the Asia-Pacific region rescue over 700 million people from extreme poverty between 1980 and 2005? What policy lessons can we learn and implement to improve conditions for the nearly 1 billion people in the region who continue to live in poverty? Examining Asia’s recent agricultural reform and trade liberalization experiences, in the context of current global crises, presents an occasion to reflect on past achievements and consider future opportunities.
This publication synthesizes the proceedings and presents technical papers from a policy forum convened by FAO and China's Ministry of Agriculture. The first part summarizes key points from presentations, panel discussions and deliberations which sought to capture the essence of three decades of Asia's agricultural policy experience. The second part incorporates eight technical papers which addressed the forum's main themes: Chinese agricultural policy reforms and performance over the past 30 years; Asia's changing agricultural policy landscape; agricultural trade liberalization; and the implications of the global food and financial crises for food and agriculture.