NEW REPORT PUBLISHED!! The Role of Trade Policy in Achieving Key Sustainability Outcomes in Agriculture by Patrick Wade 2023 United States Scholar
17/07/2025
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"Trade policy is one of the most powerful forces shaping global agriculture. If we want to achieve serious sustainability outcomes, we need to better understand how to align those policies with climate, economic, and production goals."
- 2023 Nuffield International Scholar, Patrick Wade
Leveraging Trade Policy for Sustainable Agriculture: Global Insights from a Nuffield Scholar
A 2023 Nuffield International Scholar has released a comprehensive report exploring how agricultural trade policy can be better utilised to support global sustainability and climate outcomes.
Patrick Wade, supported by Bayer, undertook international research to understand how trade systems can drive environmental, economic, and social benefits across agricultural supply chains. His report investigates how intergovernmental organisations, policy frameworks, and trade agreements can be aligned to unlock sustainability at scale.
"The USDA estimates that world agricultural trade doubled from 1995 to 2014. We've seen just how critical trade is to the agricultural economy," Patrick explains. "But the binding policy language and practices needed to generate real sustainability gains are still underdeveloped, and often poorly understood by those on the ground."
As part of his scholarship, Patrick focused on the European Union, a global leader in integrating sustainability into agricultural policy.
His report highlights the potential for trade rules and agreements to support practices that improve climate resilience, biodiversity, and rural development. He advocates for greater clarity, cohesion, and transparency in how sustainability-linked trade policies are designed, implemented, and communicated.
"Rules-based trading systems can be harnessed for much more than just market access," he writes. "They have the potential to drive large-scale change, but only if farmers, policymakers, and exporters have the right tools and understanding to engage."
Patrick's full report is now available.
