Aligning trade and sustainability
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The proliferation of environment-related provisions (ERPs) within regional trade agreements (RTAs), particularly those addressing agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors (Ag-ERPs), reflects international recognition of interdependencies between trade liberalization and environmental sustainability. This study employs a three-step document review methodology using the FAO RTA database to examine how Ag-ERPs influence domestic legislative and governance frameworks across four jurisdictions in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, selected through trade, environmental, and regulatory criteria. The analysis reveals differentiated patterns of causality and reinforcement across sectors and geographies. One case demonstrates convergence between international trade obligations and domestic regulations in agriculture, particularly pesticide management, alongside fisheries reforms incorporating international guidelines and forestry initiatives predating trade commitments. Another case exhibits nuanced impacts, with international provisions supporting water governance reforms and fisheries regulations addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, while forestry developments suggest parallel evolution. A third case indicates acceleration of existing policy priorities, particularly in water management and fisheries-forestry sectors, reflecting combined national and international influences through multilateral trade agreements. A fourth case reveals pre-existing environmental frameworks receiving reinforcement through regional cooperation mechanisms and international agreements with major trading partners, particularly in water and marine resource management. The comparative evidence suggests Ag-ERPs function bidirectionally as catalysts for regulatory advancement and codifications of domestic priorities, with effectiveness contingent upon institutional capacity, monitoring mechanisms, and inclusive governance processes for sustainable agrifood systems transformation.