A Research agenda towards “The Beijing effect”: is the chinese market shaping Latin American agriculture? The case of GMOS

Abstract

Global political economy is a field of inquiry that tends to focus on the projection of power as a purposive action. However, when we look at international trade, we observe that trade-engaged companies will adapt their production methods to fit the standards, regulations and needs of the market in which they can earn the largest profit. Their behavior tends to be later reinforced with policies and rules in the domestic markets that converge with the rules developed by the foreign power. In this vein, a country that possesses a large and open market can force a convergence of international rules to benefit its own interests without projecting power purposively onto third countries. The goal of the current research is to analyze whether or not China, as a massive market for Latin American agricultural goods (which are even reaching a point of dependence) has had a similar effect on the domestic agricultural regulations and standards of these countries. The territorial focus will be on Chile, Argentina and Brazil, as these are the largest agricultural exporting markets from Latin America towards China. In terms of topics, we will focus on the ongoing issue of GMOs. Can we speak of a “Beijing Effect” in Latin America?