ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the literature on the special position of agriculture within national economies. It addresses two questions: Under what conditions with respect to international framework agreements could Austrian agriculture be protected? And what forms of agriculture in Austria are worth protection? On the one hand, agriculture is seen as an economic sector like any other in the primary sector. Thus any risk and rigours typical for these sectors should be reflected in market prices. Naturally, internalisation of benefits from agriculture in market prices needs to be accompanied by the securing of a fair market structure. On the other hand, the relevant literature emphasises that special conditions apply in the case of agriculture that have to be considered. F. Stocker states that a combination of the some characteristics of agricultural production is responsible for specific sectoral and internal peculiarities of agriculture.
