MR Peter Sntherland, the former director general of the General" Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, does not envisage a new round of world trade talks on agriculture like the last round.
"Things will be different from now on. I do not believe we will have Urguar Round type negotiations in the future. This round will, he a series of smaller packages which will gradually develop a trading system", he said.
"The essential issue is that the system works and protectionism does not develop either in North, America or in Europe, where it is most likely to develop", Mr Sutherland told the Horizons Conference in the RDS.
Mr Sutherland, chairman and" managing director of Goldman Sachs, said he did not think Irish agriculture or the food industry had anything to fear from GATT, which "presented more opportunities than difficulties".
More liberal trade laws had opened up markets in areas like South East Asia and Latin America. This would continue as a growing world population increased demand for products. People who did not have money before are now acquiring money to pay for product because of the global trading system.
"I think the pace of change in terms of agriculture has not been, and will not be, dramatic in the future. It will be a gradual process", said Mr Sutherland. Developments like future reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and EU enlargement were likely to bring such changes.
On the overall agreement, Mr Sutherland said the last GATT accord had brought about a dramatic change in global trade.
It had helped keep the world inflation rate down, create employment and stimulate economies.
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