Trade liberalization, privatization and commercialization are diminishing the domestic infrastructures that support traditional agriculture. Trade liberalization and the reduction of tariffs have produced an uneven playing field in agriculture to the disadvantage of local farmers while promoting the corporate agriculture of transnational corporations.  The intensification of commercialization of agriculture has led to competition for land resulting in displacement of local farmers/workers, many of who are women.

The IGTN maintains that food should be available and guaranteed for all generations and that each nation must have the right to maintain and develop its own capacity to produce people’s basic food while respecting cultural diversity. The constraints women face in their productive and social reproductive roles in relation to food security must be eliminated.

The following featured articles address IGTN's concerns about the impact of trade liberalization in agriculture on women's economic security.

• An interview on Food Sovereignty with popular women. A 3 minutes video (youtube). Edited by Norma Maldonado - Guatemala IGTN focal point coordinator, December, 2007. 
• Beyond WTO Compliance: Seeking a Just 2007 USA Farm Bill By Kristin Sampson, USGTN, August, 2007.
• The Negative Impact that Agriculture Rules on Trade and Finance have on Women, Families and Communities By Elijah Wachira, IGTN Africa. February 2007.
• WTO Agreement on Agriculture and Implications on Food Sovereignty/Security in Africa and the Developing World By Elijah Wachira, IGTN Africa. February, 2007
• Comercio Internacional, Agricultura y Alimentación. By LAGTN, April 2007.
• Women and Food Crises: How US Food Aid Policies Can Better Support their Struggles By Karen Hansen-Kuhn, ActionAid US and USGTN. April, 2007.
• Case Studies highlighting the gendered dynamic aroung agriculture, trade and food sovereignty Several IGTN authors. Coordination: Graciela Rodriguez and Ruth Espinola Soriano de Mello. February, 2007.
• A Row to Hoe - The gender impact of trade liberalization on our food system, agricultural markets and women's human rights. By Alexandra Spieldoch, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy  - IATP. Joint IATP - IGTN Project. March 2007.
• Remarks on the Women’s Ecumenical Forum on Life Promoting Trade -  Paper by Liepollo Lebohang Pheko, GENTA at Hong Kong on the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) - December 2005.
• Ten Years of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture: Problems and Prospects - Presentation by Naty Bernardino, IGTN-Asia at the WTO Public Symposium, April 2005.
• Women’s Role in Food Security and Threats from WTO - PowerPoint presentation by Aftab Alam Khan of ActionAid International for the IGTN panel "WTO+10 Meets Beijing+10" at the WTO Public Symposium - April 2005
• Incorporating Gender Considerations for the Designation of Special Products in WTO Agriculture Negotiations - Paper by Maria Pia Hernandez - March 2005 
• The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Women's Livelihoods and Their Response: Beijing+10 Meets WTO+10 - The Bird in the Hand - Report by CGTN featuring a section on Agriculture - February 2005
• Asia Report on Beijing+10 - Comprehensive report by IGTN-Asia featuring a section on Agriculture - February 2005
• Bankrupt U.S. Economic Policy Forecloses on Women's Human Rights - Comprehensive report by USGTN featuring a section on Agriculture - February 2005
• An Analysis of the WTO AOA Review from the Perspective of Rural Women in Asia - February 2003
• The Impact of Trade Liberalisation in the Agricultural Sector on African Women: Links with Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods - September 2002

Additional articles are available in the IGTN Resource Library