WTO Pacts and Food Quality Issues

Trade liberalisation, hoped to be achieved through the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, is expected to lead to export promotion and import substitution for the Indian food sector. However, these opportunities cannot be exploited unless attention is paid to two important WTO agreements - one, on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and two, on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). To maximise the benefit from these agreements, India will have to improve its safety and quality norms and import monitoring mechanisms.