How do non-reciprocal trade preferences affect the food exports and food availability per capita of Global South countries?

We investigate the historical effects of non-reciprocal preferential trade agreements (NRPTAs) on food exports and food availability per capita in 112 countries in the Global South to address concerns about their potential non-trade effects. Our empirical analyses use FAO Food Balance Sheet data for the years 1961–2013, covering 14 food categories and 91 product groups. We assess the link between NRPTA intensity - measured at the country level as the annaul sum of NRPTAs a country has in place - and the two outcomes using fixed effects dummy variable regressions. Our findings show that NRPTA intensity has a positive effect on food export performance and on food availability per capita, with heterogeneities across least developed, transition, and developing country groups, and its export effects do not jeopardize food insecurity. •We tackle the “twin” role of non-reciprocal trade preferences (NRPTAs) using historical data.•We estimate the effects of NRPTAs on food exports and on the food availability of beneficiary countries.•NRPTAs have a positive effect on the food exports and on the food availability of beneficiary countries.