Q&A: Marcos Jank from BRF Asia Pacific on tackling protectionism in agricultural trade
Marcos Sawaya Jank, vice president of corporate affairs and business development for Brazilian Food Processor BRF Asia Pacific. Photo by: IFPRI / CC BY-NC-ND
The rise of protectionism is prompting some developing countries that export agricultural produce to explore new ways of expanding their markets without being limited by lack of access.
Some global trade experts believe that if left unchecked, protectionism would not only obstruct international trade, but might also weaken the influence of the World Trade Organization. The issue is likely to be prominent at this year’s WTO ministerial conference and has implications for global food security and the development of the global agricultural sector.
At an International Food Policy Research Institute event called “Global food security and the WTO: The role of Mercosur countries,” Devex talked with Marcos Sawaya Jank, the vice president of corporate affairs and business development for Brazilian Food Processor BRF Asia Pacific. BRF is one of the world’s largest food production companies and Jank spoke about how the development community can support agricultural-product exporting countries to address the growing challenge of protectionism. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Could you elaborate on the ongoing evolution of agricultural protectionism?
Market access will probably be a complicated issue since the U.S. has decided to leave the Trans-Pacific Partnerships and is also re-thinking NAFTA, and challenging China. It could become a very complicated world regarding trade relations. I think we are going to see movement in bilateral agreement but not regional. The World Trade Organization will be complicated too. Countries that are very efficient in agriculture, such as Brazil and Argentina, depend on market access. Now they need to become very convincing to have multilateral liberalization of subsidies and tariffs.
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