India makes strong and compelling argument to finalize permanent solution to Public Stockholding and deliver this outcome at MC13, as this remains pending for 11 years

The WTO negotiation session on Agriculture took place in the afternoon of 27 February in the ongoing Abu Dhabi Ministerial Conference-13.

In this session, India made a strong and compelling argument to finalize the permanent solution to Public Stockholding (PSH) and deliver this outcome at MC13, as this has been pending for 11 years. India recalled the three mandates on PSH from the Bali Ministerial of 2013, the General Council decision of 2014 and the Nairobi Ministerial decision of 2015.

India argued that the focus should not be narrowed down to the trade interests of exporting countries only, the real concern is the food security and livelihood of people.  India emphasized that without a permanent solution on PSH, the most critical and long-pending mandated issue at the WTO, developing countries’ fight against hunger cannot be won.

India highlighted that the significance this issue was so high that more than 80 countries representing more than 61% of the world’s population from the G33 group of countries, Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) and the African Groups have co-sponsored a proposal on this subject.

India also recalled the vast differences in the actual per-farmer domestic support provided by different countries, as notified to WTO. Some developed countries provide subsidies which are 200 times than the subsidies provided by the developing countries. It was the membership’s duty to ensure a level playing field in international agriculture trade for millions of low-income or resource-poor farmers.

In the overall reform process, India reiterated the preference for adopting a sequential approach. First and foremost, the permanent solution to the PSH has to be delivered. After that, it is important to protect the treaty-embedded Special and Differential Treatment provision in the Agreement on Agriculture. India stated that any derogation in this regard would be unacceptable. After that, if any discussion on reduction of domestic support commitments take place, the process should start with eliminating subsidies for countries who provide massive subsidies on a per capita basis.

Public Stockholding must be permanently resolved to safeguard food security and protect Special and Differential Treatment. India urged finalization of a permanent solution to Public Stockholding at MC13, recalling mandates from Bali, the General Council and Nairobi, and emphasised prioritising food security and livelihoods over exporters' trade interests. It noted broad co sponsorship by G33, ACP and African Groups, highlighted large notified disparities in domestic support and called for a level playing field for low income farmers. India proposed a sequential approach: first deliver the PSH solution; then protect treaty embedded Special and Differential Treatment in the Agreement on Agriculture; and subsequently address domestic support reductions beginning with elimination of massive per capita subsidies.