This Introductory Learning Companion has been developed with the aim of providing an up-to-date, evidence-based, interdisciplinary resource for all types of learners, including those with little or no prior knowledge on economic and trade policy, or the interactions between trade and nature. The companion may also serve as a useful resource and reference manual for lecturers and trainers in professional or higher education. This resource will help readers:

• Understanding the role of trade in the global economy, and the major trends that have shaped the evolution of globalization.
• Describing the mechanisms via which trade can promote or retard economic growth.
• Appreciating the complex relationship between trade and inequality -between countries and within countries.
• Understanding the various mechanisms via which trade can affect nature - positively and negatively.
• Appreciating trade's increasingly important role as a tool of sustainable development, in general, and environmental sustainability, more specifically.