International trade and agrarian reform are mutually complementary ideas, as much of international trade is determined by the current trend of the agrarian sector. I
International Trade
International trade is an act of exchanging goods and services across various countries of the world. International trade accounts for a major portion to a country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Internationa1 trade has a direct impact over the economy of a country.
Agrarian Reform
Agrarian reform is the change of agricultural system to improve the performance of agricultural land and enhance the economic condition of rural people of a country. One of the basic activities of agrarian reform is to distribute land among the poor rural people of a country.
International Trade and Agrarian Reform
About half of the world's total population are engaged with agrarian activities. In some way or the other, they are dependent on agricultural production. Land is the fundamental asset and principal source of income for them. The agricultural production not only affects the rural people of the world, but also influence the economy of a country. Agricultural production also has a direct impact over the international trading market.
The World bank and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the United Nations, assist developing countries of the world to implement agrarian reform in their countries. In the international conference on agrarian reform and rural development, the participating countries discussed issues regarding social and economic cooperation among each other.
Agricultural trade normally follows free trade principle, instead of supporting protectionism, but in recent years, agricultural lobbies in United States, Japan and Europe are exercising protectionism.
World Bank Market Based Agrarian Reform: Statistical Facts
The World Bank helps developing countries to devise trade policies and also provides technical guidelines to the governments of these developing nations towards an open trade regime. The World Bank also provides necessary advices in eliminating poverty from developing countries by means of international trade. One of the significant functions of the bank is to develop techniques and policy tools for studying the impact of trade policy reforms.
World Bank Contribution to Agrarian Reform:Statistical Data
In 1997, World Bank sanctioned $90 million for buying land and provide credit to the cultivators in Brazil. It has been observed that most of the cultivators in Brazil are unable to produce enough for their families. Most of them are unable to payoff their loans also. The World Bank also sanctioned an amount of $23 million for the purpose of redistribution of land in Guatemala.
In 1994, the government of South Africa designed programs to redistribute 30% of the country's total agricultural land among the rural poor and landless.
Up to the year 1984, the World Bank invested $183 million to allow cultivators in Thailand to access their credit and reduce rural poverty.