Modelling agricultural trade and structural change

Abstract

The course focuses on the impact of trade liberalization on structural change in agriculture. Due to the fact that the Swiss government aims at opening agricultural markets on the bilateral way we put emphasis in the FS 2008 term on the assessement of a free trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU.

Objective

The course focuses on the impact of trade liberalization on structural change in agriculture. Due to the fact that the Swiss government aims at opening agricultural markets on the bilateral way we put emphasis in the FS 2008 term on the assessement of a free trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU. Objectives: Studentents shall be able to 1. understand the mechanisms of free trade agreements; 2. analyze the impact of trade liberalization on structural change; 3. examine the effects of trade creation and trade diversion.

Content

1. Introduction: Regional free trade agreements - Building blocks or stumbling blocks for global free trade ? Welfare economic analysis. 2. Agricultural free trade agreement Sitzerland - EU: current situation of the preparations and first results of studies on the impact of free trade on Swiss agriculture, experience with the liberalization of the cheese market 2002-2007, 3. Methodological aspects of the impact-analysis: trade models and models of structural change. 4. Case study: Bilateral trade liberalization Switzerland - EU for meat. (partial equilibrium model)

Resources