ABSTRACT
The primacy of food for the survival of humans is a universal premise of this rights-based approach. Agroecology essentially applies ecology to agriculture and has the ability to change the common vision of both agriculture and society. Potentially capable of permeating various levels of society and environmental conservation, agroecology can be truly transformative for local economies and even international trade. Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) are “deep integration partnerships between countries or regions with a major share of world trade and foreign direct investments.” To date, RTAs set agriculture apart. Agriculture has been the most protected sector in international trade because governments seek to feed their people and provide jobs through the ever-needed food sector. One possible justification is agricultural exceptionalism “the use of legal exceptions to protect the agricultural industry.” Implementing the rights-based approach to agroecology means strengthening the infrastructure of laws, treaties and regulations that foster an agroecology-friendly trading environment.
