Right before the WTO talks got started in Hong Kong the FAO released its “State of Food & Agriculture 2005” report.

The State of Food and Agriculture 2005 (SOFA 2005) examines agricultural trade and poverty, seeking to answer the question: Can trade work for the poor?

According to SOFA 2005, the answer is yes, but trade liberalization alone is not enough. Policies and investments must be put in place to allow the poor to benefit from trade opportunities and to protect the vulnerable against trade-related shocks. “Agricultural trade and further trade liberalization can unlock the potential of the agriculture sector to promote pro-poor growth, but these benefits are not guaranteed.”

You can read the executive summary here. (pdf file)

An excerpt example would be this one where they recommend how trade can work for the poor with a “twin-track approach”. This involves (i) investing in human capital, institutions and infrastructure and (ii) establishing safety nets to protect vulnerable people during the transition to freer trade.”