The enactment of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Act, 2013, has made sweeping changes in the land acquisition laws of India (LARR Act, 2013).

Odisha is one of the poorest states in the country, with around 36 per cent of the rural population living below the poverty line. Ninety one per cent of poverty in Odisha is rural and more than 60 per cent of its workforce is engaged in agriculture.

This paper critically examines India’s agricultural trade policy mainly from the perspective of public policy objectives, including food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable development, but also against the benchmark of the WTO rules and India’s commitments therein.