En.pdf

The World Bank submission to the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures discusses the development challenge in trade, focusing on sanitary and phytosanitary standards. Developing countries' food exports have grown steadily since the 1980s, with medium-income countries exhibiting strong growth in agricultural trade in the 1990s. Low-income countries have also increased their exports, with growth as high as 120% between 1980 and 1995. The share of food exports in total exports has declined, reflecting diversification away from food exports. Processed foods have become increasingly important, driven by the use of processing technologies and comparative advantage in low-cost labor. Major destinations for exports are West Europe and high-income countries, with intra-regional trade varying by region. The World Bank has provided trade-related development assistance and spent significant amounts on SPS and related standards projects, with new research underway on standards and trade.