Ithaca, New York
April 4, 2003

Cornell University will host a symposium, "Globalization, Agricultural Development and Rural Livelihoods," April 11-12, examining globalization of markets and the status of world food supplies and of nutrition.

The symposium, in 401 Warren Hall, will feature a keynote address, "Globalization, Agriculture and Rural Poverty: Implications for Developing Countries," by Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Cornell's Babcock  Professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy. The talk will be given in the opening session at 8:30 a.m. on April 11

The global economy has become more integrated in recent decades because of declining trade barriers, increasingly integrated global capital markets and a greater market orientation of developing
economies, says David R. Lee, conference organizer and Cornell professor of applied economics and management. "While many nations have benefited from economic growth, greater employment opportunities and higher purchasing power, the strong negative response of many groups to globalization is indicative of widespread skepticism about its impacts, particularly on the poor."

Lee explains that the world's rural poor depend significantly on agriculture, both for household sustenance and for income generation.

Increasingly, he says, international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization are being called on to address the perceived negative impacts of globalization.

The symposium is sponsored by the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development; the Program on Poverty, Inequality and Development; the Einaudi Center for International Studies; the Polson Institute for Global Development; and the Department of Applied Economics and Management.

The first day's session, "Nutrition, Commodity Prices and Technology," will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Speakers will include:

• Lawrence Haddad, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C., "Redirecting the Diet Transition: What Can Food Policy do?";
• Alexander Sarris, University of Athens, Greece, "Managing International Commodity Price Risk"; and
• Prabhu Pingali, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, "The Globalization of Agricultural Biotechnology: Impacts and Implications."

On the afternoon of the first day there will be parallel sessions from 1:30 to 3 p.m. In room 401 Warren Hall, speakers will include:

• Johan Swinnen, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, "Globalization, Agricultural Restructuring and Rural Employment: Evidence from Poland"; and
• Kofi Nouve, Michigan State University, "Food Security in Western Africa Following the World Trade Organization Agreements on Agriculture."

In Room 404, Plant Science Building, speakers will include:

• Eric Edmunds, Dartmouth College, "Product Market Integration and Child Labor Supply: Evidence from Vietnam";
• Alejandro Nin Pratt, International Livestock Research Institute, Ethiopia, "Trade Liberalization and Poverty Alleviation: The Livestock Sector in Vietnam"; and
• Mahabub Hossain, International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines, "Changes in Livelihood Systems in Rural Bangladesh."

The first-day session "Changes in Global Food Markets," will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in 401 Warren Hall. Presenters will include:

• Ian Sheldon, Ohio State University, "Globalization, Food Industry Consolidation and Market Access: Implications for Developing Countries"; and
• Thomas Reardon, Michigan State University, "The Rise of Supermarkets in Developing Countries: Implications for Agrifood Systems and the Rural Poor."

On Saturday, April 12, the symposium will continue in 401 Warren Hall. The day's first session, "Poverty and Trade," will be from 8:45 to 10 a.m. and it will feature:

• Raghav Ghaia, University of Delhi, "Globalization and Rural Poverty"; and
• Thomas Hertel, Purdue University, "Trade Liberalization and the Structure of Poverty in Developing Countries."

The final session, "Governance, Institutions and Policy," will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and presenters will include:

• Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C., "Governance and Globalization"; and
• Uma Lele, World Bank, Washington, D.C., "International Institutions and Policies to Address the Challenges of Globalization."