Colombian Government’s Deal with Rice Producers Exposes Flaws in Trade Policies

For 11 long days, Colombian rice producers brought key regions of the country to a halt, blocking roads across 11 departments and spotlighting a critical struggle for national sovereignty over food production. This disruption ended Thursday after an agreement between the Government of Colombia and the nation’s rice producers introduced measures aimed at stabilizing prices and protecting local farmers from foreign competition. Is Temporary Price Fixing Enough to Secure National Food Sovereignty? The heart of the agreement rests on enforcing a minimum price for arroz paddy verde, or raw rice—a crucial step meant to prevent producers from being undercut by...