Agricultural Imports, Agriculture Productivity and Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Debate on agricultural trade can be traced back from the negotiations on agricultural trade under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which came into force in 1948. Later, significant progress toward agricultural trade reforms were covered and continues to be negotiated upon by the World Trade Organization Agreement on Agriculture, which came into force in 1995 as a result of the 1986-1994 Uruguay Round of world trade negotiations supported by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (WTO, 2016). Since 1994, agricultural trade has been liberalized, which has led to increased globalization and integration. World Trade Organization members commit themselves to general agricultural trade rules pertaining to market access, domestic support, and export competition within well-defined timelines. The ultimate goal of these negotiations is to improve the livelihoods of farmers around the world through implementing sound agricultural trade regulations and domestic policies that promote competition and reduce distortions in agricultural trade (WTO, 2016). The research on agricultural trade and economic growth has therefore been gaining attention in the recent past both in developed and developing countries.