Market access has hardly changed with the implementation of the AoA, and developing countries' share of world agriculture markets has remained static. Instead, the U.S. proposals echo the structure of the existing agreement, with no acknowledgement that developing countries face serious implementation problems. The integrity of the global trading system depends on improved policy coherence and creating new institutions to ensure that developing countries can participate fully. Trade rules need to be specifically designed to give developing countries flexibility in deciding their agriculture and trade policies. Multilateral organizations need to be more responsive to the food security concerns of developing countries.
Food security is a clear example of an objective that requires inter-sectoral cooperation.
The WTO needs to work with other multilateral institutions experienced in specific dimensions of the nontrade concerns that touch the WTO's work. Such collaboration requires resources and a commitment from governments to integrate trade policy into other areas of international development planning. There has been an increase in the training and other assistance offered to developing country officials since 1994, but the problem remains serious. The proposal to create a legal office in Geneva to service developing countries' disputes at little or no cost exemplifies the kind of innovations needed to make the system more balanced. The food security box would aim to ensure that developing countries have the flexibility to support domestic agricultural production and food security.