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International Agricultural Law
and Organizations

Overview

International law is such a broad subject that it is commonly divided into three categories: public international law, private international law, and national law. Public international law guides the interactions of national governments, and is derived from international agreements, customary international law, general legal principles, and expert scholarship. Private international law is the law that regulates disputes between persons when the laws of multiple countries are implicated. Usually this is addressed as a conflict of laws question that decides what set of national laws to apply to the dispute. National law is the domestic law of each country that regulates the activities of foreign persons within the borders of that particular country. As international agricultural trade increases, international law grows in importance to agriculture. Note also that there is considerable overlap between the areas of International Agricultural Law and International Agricultural Trade. This overview focuses on international law and organizations applicable to agriculture. Read the full overview

Note: Recently added resources are posted at the top of the applicable sections.

Major Laws

FAOLEX Electronic Legislative Database (Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO)

Treaties Deposited with the FAO

National Water Law and Standards

Environmental Conventions and Agreements (FAO)

European Union Laws (EUR-LEX)

Atlas of International Freshwater Agreements

ECOLEX: A Gateway to Environmental Law

Center Research Publications

Summary of the WTO Interim Report in EC-Biotech (Peck, 2006)

Managing Carbon in a World Economy: The Role of American Agriculture (Garry, 2005)

Do European Union Non-Tariff Barriers Create Economic Nuisances in the United States?
(Redick & Adrian, 2005)

Revising Seed Purity Laws to Account for the Adventitious Presence of Genetically Modified
Varieties: A First Step Towards Coexistence (Endres, 2005)

European Union Food Law Update (Coutrelis, 2005)

World Trade Organization and the Commodity Title of the Next Farm Bill (O'Brien, 2006)

Jack and the Beanstalk: Property Rights in Genetically Modified Plants (Busch, 2004)

Biodiversity and the Law: The Culture of Agriculture and the Nature of Nature Conservation
(Harbison, 2004)

Biodiversity and the Law of Nature Conservation in Great Britain (Harbison, 2004)

J.E.M. Ag Supply v. Pioneer Hi-Bred International: Its Meaning and Significance (Roberts, 2002)

Legal Liability Issues in Agricultural Biotechnology (Kershen, 2002)

Congressional Research Service Reports

CRS Subject(s):
Trade - Agreements
Trade - Disputes
Trade - Miscellaneous
Animal Agriculture
Biotechnology
Food Aid - Foreign

Reference Resources

USDA Resources

Foreign Agricultural Service

Agriculture Departments in Other Nations (National Agricultural Library - NAL)

International Agricultural Organizations (NAL)

Other Congressional Resources

International Law Reports (Agriculture and Food) (Government Accountability Office - GAO)

International Law Reports (International Affairs) (GAO)

Other Federal Resources

U.S. Agency for International Development

Publications

International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (FAO)

Additional Resources

FAO Legal Office

FAO International Portal on Food Safety

International Fund for Agricultural Development

World Bank - Agriculture and Rural Development

Governments on the WWW: Multi-Governmental Organizations

North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Activities of the European Union - Agriculture

Activities of the European Union - Food Safety

The Court of Justice of the European Communities

Agriculture Directorate-General (European Commission)

Agriculture (European Commission)

Agriculture - An Introduction (European Commission)

European Union in the U.S. - Agriculture & Food Safety Policies

European Council for Agricultural Law

United Nations Environment Programme

Agriculture & Rural Development (UN Dept. of Economic & Social Affairs Division for

        Sustainable Development)

International Law (UN Dept. of Economic & Social Affairs Division for Sustainable Development)

International Law (United Nations)

Centre for Studies in Agriculture, Law and the Environment

Food Law (U. of Reading, UK)

Foreign and International Law (Washburn U. School Law Library)

Legal Research on International Law Issues Using the Internet (U. Chicago Law School)

International Law (Legal Information Institute, Cornell U.)

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