International marketing developments and the effects on South African agriculture

Abstract

The global agricultural marketing environment is changing rapidly. Coupled with the advance in technology, a borderless society is emerging that necessitates a rethinking of traditional agricultural policies. This paper analyses this trend by presenting an overview of issues currently affecting agricultural trade, both globally and in South Africa. The latter has undergone a significant deregulation and liberalisation process of its own. Coupled with global trends towards even further deregulation, especially during the 1999 round of multilateral trade negotiations, agricultural industries and economists will be required to focus their attention in this direction. While the former need to devise strategies that will enhance their international competitiveness within a deregulated environment, the latter will have to become involved in the policy debate surrounding this issue. This necessitates, however, on both sides, an improvement of theoretical knowledge of international trade, as well as an understanding of global issues.