Shifting Patterns of Agricultural Trade: The Protectionism Outbreak and Food Security

This book is a pivotal publication that seeks to improve food security in the conditions of escalating protectionism in global agricultural trade. The authors argue that global trade systems have been increasingly distorted by emerging trade tensions between major actors such as the US, China, the EU, and Russia, as well as trade policies in many other countries. In view of the most recent disruption of global food supply chains due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the book examines the effects of administrative restrictions, tariff escalations, and other forms of protectionism on food security.

Over the decades, food security concerns have been emerging, along with the growth of the world population. More than two billion most impoverished people in the world spent up to 70% of their disposable income on food. In 2020, the running pandemic has unraveled accumulated problems. As many countries rely on agricultural imports, lockdowns and disrupted food production and supply chains tremendously threaten food security of those nations. Agricultural trade was already slowing in 2019 before the virus struck, weighed down by trade tensions, and decelerating economic growth. The spread of the virus and strict quarantine measures trigger economic decline that results in food prices rises and volatilities. Due to the pandemic, nearly all regions will suffer double-digit decline in trade volumes 2020.

The virus will be defeated, but the effects of the protectionism outbreak would have a much longer-lasting impact on agricultural production, international supply chains, and food security worldwide. In this publication, the authors probe into many of the choices that link national, regional, and global policies extensively with the provision of food security for all in the new era of post-virus global trade. Since studying global agricultural trade has a multinational application, its outcomes might be shared with a broad international network of stakeholders, including research institutions, universities, and individual researches. The book is appropriate for government officials, policymakers, and businesses of many countries. Adaptation of research outcomes and solutions to the situation in particular countries and various collaboration formats will let to increase the visibility of the publication and to elaborate new practices and solutions in the sphere of establishing sustainable food security.

Vasilii Erokhin is an associate professor, School of Economics and Management, Harbin Engineering University, China. Dr. Erokhin is an author of over 190 scientific works in the areas of international trade, globalization, sustainable development, and food security. Dr. Erokhin is an editor and a board member in several peer-reviewed journals, and a holder of the honorary awards from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. In 2018 and 2019, Dr. Erokhin was named among the Publons top peer reviewers in cross-field studies and environment and ecology.

Gao Tianming is a professor, School of Economics and Management, Harbin Engineering University, China. He is a director and chief expert of the Center for Russian and Ukrainian Studies (CRUS) and Arctic Blue Economy Research Center (ABERC) at Harbin Engineering University, Deputy Head of the Heilongjiang International Economic and Trade Association, leading consultant of governmental bodies and commercial organizations in the sphere of economic collaboration between China, Russia, and the Republic of Korea.

Jean Vasile Andrei is a full professor at the Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, Department of Business Administration, and scientific researcher at National Institute for Economic Research ‘Costin C. Kiritescu’, Romanian Academy. He is an editor-in-chief at International Journal of Sustainable Economies Management (USA), a founder of the Research Network on Resources Economics and Bioeconomy (RebResNet), and a member of the Balkan Scientific Association of Agrarian Economists, Danube Adria Association for Automation and Manufacturing—DAAAM International Vienna and Information Resources Management Association-USA. Issues like: agricultural economics and rural development, energy and resource economics, business economics, and sustainable development are among his research and scientific interests, where he has published articles (over 70), scientific books (11), and numerous conferences presentations.