   
  
G/AG/W/244  
 
16 April 2024 
(24-3183) Page: 1/11 
Committee on Agriculture    
 
 
COMMUNICATION  FROM THE CHAIR  
1.  Members may recall the discussion s at the last meeting of the Committee on Agriculture Working 
Group on 20 November 2023, and subsequently at the Committee on Agriculture meeting on 
the 27-29 November 2023 , under the agenda item on the  work programme launched pursuant to 
paragraph  8 of the MC12 Declaration on the emergency response to food insecurity . At both 
meetings, there was a broad agreement on the report by the Working Group Coordinator contained 
in RD/AG/120/Rev.2 . However , one Member was unable  to join the consensus due to  concerns it 
had expressed on some elements of the report. Simultaneously, other Members expressed their 
inability to accept any substantive changes to the report for reasons  of delicate balance within the 
document.  At that time, I had urged the concerned Member to reconsider its position , encouraging 
it to demonstrate the necessary flexibility to join consensus on the revised report by the Coordinator. 
I had also expressed my  readiness to convene a special meeting of the Committee to finalize the 
report and recommendations as and when a consensus would be feasible . 
2.  I have received signals indicating that Members are now in a position to reach consensus based 
on the revised Coordinator's report in RD/AG/120/Rev.2 , which is included in Attachment to this  
communication . The attachment reproduces verbatim the content of the document 
RD/AG/120/Rev.2 , with the exception of a single -word change (from 'reservations' to 
'preoccupation') in the last sentence of paragraph  10 to accommodate a suggestion made by the 
Member whose position that sentence seeks to capture, along with minor editorial adjus tments in 
paragraph  7 and Annex 1 to reflect additional meeting dates and the extended process the 
Committee has undergone beyond end -November  2023 up until the special meeting scheduled 
for 17 April 2024.   
3.  Secondly, you may recall my interventions at the September and November 2023 Committee 
meetings, during which I reminded Members that the implementation of the 1994 Marrakesh 
Decision concerning LDCs and NFIDCs, which is central to the current work programme, mandates 
the Committee to report to the Minis terial Conference on the follow -up to the Decision.  According to 
paragraph 18 of its working procedures1, the Committee has a permanent mandate and instruction 
to report to the Ministerial Conference on the follow -up to the Marrakesh Decision.  Now that the 
13th Ministerial Conference has concluded, the Committee , following its approval of the report of the 
work programme , may report to  the General Council  accordingly about th is positive development. 
As the Chair of the Committee,  both my predecessor  and I have regularly provided update s to the 
Chair of the General Council on the progress made in the Committee under the work programme.2  
4.  I look forward to constructive engagement by all Members at th is special meeting  
on 17 April 2024.  
 
_______________  
 
 
 
 
1 G/AG/1 . 
2 The reports by the GC Chair under the agenda item on the follow -up of the outcome of Ministerial 
Conferences, latest being in JOB/GC/391 , have included those updates.  G/AG/W/ 244 
 
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  ATTACHMENT  
 
WORK PROGRAMME PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH 8 OF THE MINISTERIAL DECLARATION 
ON THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO FOOD INSECURITY  
REPORT BY THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE  
[The present report concerns the dedicated work programme in the Committee on Agriculture 
launched pursuant to paragraph  8 of the MC12 Declaration on the emergency response to food 
insecurity  (WT/MIN(22)/28 - WT/L/1139 ). The report was adopted at the sp ecial meeting of the 
Committee on 17 April 2024.]  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.  At the Twelfth Session of the Ministerial Conference  (MC12), Ministers instructed1 the Committee 
on Agriculture  (CoA) to undertake a dedicated work programme to examine ways for the Decision 
on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least -Developed 
and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries ( Marrakesh Decision ) to be made more effective and 
operational and to, inter alia , consider the needs of least developed countries  (LDCs) and Net Food 
Importing Developing Countries  (NFIDCs) to increase their resilience in responding to acute food 
instability by consi dering the best possible use of flexibilities to bolster their agricultural production 
and enhance their domestic food security as needed in an emergency. The Committee commenced 
discussions on the elaboration of the work programme at its June 2022 meeting  just a few weeks 
after MC12.  
2.  In practical terms, this was the first occasion for this Committee, or even for any WTO body, to 
engage in a holistic discussion on the multifaceted theme of food security with the aim of developing 
an effective dedicated wor k programme. Members fully engaged, discussed all relevant issues, and 
shared their perspectives on how the global international architecture in general and the multilateral 
trading system, in particular, could collectively address food security objectives and consider  the 
needs of LDCs and NFIDCs, especially in emergency situations. The origin of these discussions and 
the prevailing global context of a food security crisis elicited specific attention to the notion of 
'resilience'2. After about six months of intensive engagement, including based on written 
submissions3, the WTO membership collectively agree d on a work programme along with the 
thematic areas for collective deliberations thereunder , as contained in G/AG/35 . The four agreed 
themes under the work programme – acces s to international food markets; financing of food 
imports; agricultural and production resilience of LDCs and NFIDCs; and select horizontal issues - 
also underline the importance of 'resilience'. The Committee also establish ed a Working Group for 
the cond uct of thematic discussions under the work programme.  The Committee set the timeline of 
end-November  2023 for the Working Group to conclude  the thematic deliberations under the work 
programme and make recommendations , as appropriate, for its consideration . 
3.  At the first meeting of the Working Group on 7  December  2022, Members finalized a 
questionnaire4 on "food security needs and challenges of LDCs and NFIDCs and their utilization of 
WTO flexibilities" to guide and inform  the substantive discussions. The Se cretariat prepared a 
summary of Members' responses5 to the questionnaire, as contained in G/AG/W/233 . A background 
note6 by the Secretariat on the 'Treatment of LDCs and NFIDCs under WTO Agriculture Rules' 
 
1 Paragraph 8 of the Ministerial Declaration on the Emergency Response to Food Insecurity 
(WT/MIN(22)/28 -WT/L/11 39). 
2 For a holistic definition of resilience, please refer to the on UN Common Guidance in Building Resilient 
Societies at https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/f iles/2021 -09/UN -Resilience -Guidance -Final-Sept.pdf . 
3 G/AG/W/223 , G/AG/W/224 , and G/AG/W/225 . 
4 G/AG/GEN/214 . 
5 Argentina ; Australia ; Bangladesh ; Brazil, Canada ; Chile; China ; Dominican Republic; Egypt ; the 
European Union ; Hong Kong, China; India; Japan ; Korea, Republic of; the LDC Group ; Mauritius ; Myanmar ; 
Nepal ; New Zealand ; Pakistan; Paraguay ; the Russian Federation ; Sri Lanka ; Switzerland ; Chinese  Taipei ; 
Thailand ; Türkiye;  the United Kingdom ; and the United States of America . 
6 G/AG/W/ 227. G/AG/W/ 244 
 
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  informed Members' deliberations on the  WTO 'flexibility' component of the  discussions. The 
discussions in the Working Group were informed and complemented by several deta iled workshops 
and expert sessions.  The table in Annex 1 to this report reflects the chronology of discussions. The 
Secretariat also set up a dedicated webpage7 on the work programme . 
4.  The work programme also reinvigorated and strengthened the cooperation between the WTO and 
organizations such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization  (FAO), United Nations 
World Food Programme  (WFP), International Fund for Agricultural Development  (IFAD), 
International Grains Council  (IGC), World Bank, Interna tional Monetary Fund  (IMF), Organization for 
Economic Cooperation and Development  (OECD) and United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development  (UNCTAD). Several international organizations as well as private sector stakeholders 
showed strong commitment in  supporting the deliberations on the work programme .  
5.  Based on Members' inputs and the discussions  in the Working Group over its four meetings8, the 
then Coordinator of the Work ing Group released a report on 3  July 2023 in RD/AG/113  containing 
possible areas of convergence and recommendations emanating from the work programme.9 The 
proposed recommendations cover ed elements related to functioning agricultural supply chains (both 
import and export side of trade), containing trade costs, transparency of global food aid shipments, 
financing challenges, boosting agricultural production resilience, and enhanced collabora tion across 
relevant international organizations. Members broadly reacted positively to the report , with several 
of them considering it to be a solid foundation for reaching an agreement among Members  to 
conclude the work programme .  
6.  Considering the wide -ranging perspectives among Members on food security, and the complexity 
in dealing with this challenging theme in the WTO, the collective and thorough engagement in the 
Committee under the work programme, as briefly summarized in the section below , is an im portant 
achievement for current and future reflections on food security  in the WTO . Section  3 contains 
recommendations for the consideration of the Committee.  
7.  This revised report by the Coordinator tak es into account Members' latest written submissions,10 
their comments on the  July 2023 report by the Coordinator, and the discussions at the Working 
Group meetings on 19  July, 21 September , 31 October, 13  November, and 20  November  2023.  
2  SUMMARY OF  DISCUSSIONS  
8.  Substantive discussions remained primarily organ ized around the four themes covered under the 
agreed work programme in G/AG/35 , namely,  access to international food markets; financing of 
food imports; agricultural and production resilience of LDCs and NFIDCs; and select horizontal 
issues . As per paragraph 8 of the MC12 Declaration on food insecu rity, effective implementation and 
monitoring of the Marrakesh Decision remained in the centre of discussions under the work 
programme. Similarly, pursuant to the ministerial instructions, Members focussed on identifying 
needs and challenges of LDCs and NF IDCs to increase their resilience in responding to acute food 
instability and examined suggestions for the best possible use of flexibilities to bolster their 
agricultural production and enhance domestic food security as needed in an emergency. Members' 
responses to the questionnaire in G/AG/GEN/214 , as summarized by the Secretariat in G/AG/W/233 , 
also p rovided a solid substantive basis for a detailed engagement under the work programme.  
9.  On the first theme of 'access to international food markets' , Members a cknowledged the 
critical role of open, predictable, diversified and market -oriented agricultural and input markets as 
an important element of the toolbox to deal with domestic food security challenges and create 
resilient food systems. Members under this t heme emphasized the importance of their adherence to 
WTO rules and open markets, in the absence of which LDCs and NFIDCs might suffer 
disproportionately from the negative impact of increased volatility and less reliable access to food ; 
open markets also allowed countries , including LDCs and NFIDCs,  to adopt a diversified import 
strategy to enable them to replenish domestic food supply efficiently especially during a food 
emergency .  
 
7 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/agric_e/wrkprog -fsldcs_e.htm . 
8 7 December 2022 ; 1 March , 17 April and 8 June in 2023.  
9 The report was later released in G/AG/W/240 . 
10 RD/AG/114 , RD/AG/114/Add .1, RD/AG/115  and RD/AG/119 . G/AG/W/244  
 
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  10.  Several Members flagged the potential negative impact of export restriction s in limiting 
importing countries' access to food. These export -limiting measures  had especially posed a 
significant challenge for LDCs and NFIDCs considering the ir growing food consumption needs due to 
demographic changes and their excessive reliance on i mports in meeting domestic food needs . In 
this context, several Members stressed the importance of timely submission of export restriction 
notifications as per Article 12 of the Agreement on Agriculture . One specific proposal considered in 
the discussions had been to exempt exports destined for LDCs and NFIDCs from the imposition of 
such measures. Similarly, an idea was floated to ensure restraint and responsibility by both exporters 
and importers in their sale and purchase decisions during tighter world fo od supplies; for the 
imposition of export restrictions, this could, for example, entail aligning the scope of such restrictions 
to annual domestic consumption needs of relevant food products; and similarly, importers might 
avoid overly significant purchase s during tighter global supplies. Some other Members disapproved 
this approach which they described as an intrusive market management rather than open trade. 
Another suggestion was made by a group of Members to clarify some concepts such as 'critical 
shortage' or 'temporary' used in the relevant legal provisions under the GATT 1994 on export 
restrictions. A few Members observed that any recommended actions on this matter under the work 
programme  should remain within the domain of possible 'implementational' actions by the CoA rather 
than proposing new modalities or rules which was a domain reserved for the CoA in Special 
Session  (CoA-SS). Some Members also believed that the  existing rules on expo rt restrictions  were 
already effective and balanced to address t he current food security challenges.  Another Member 
expressed its preoccupation about the imposition of other types of restrictions and economic 
measures on agricultural products, inputs, logi stics, and finance , so as to allow the flow of food 
suppl ies at minimum cost .  
11.  The issue of international food aid also received prominent attention under this theme. LDCs 
and NFIDCs emphasized the critical importance of international food aid in addressin g domestic food 
shortages and meeting emergency needs. Concern was expressed about the dwindling supply of 
food assistance especially when global food prices were high; keeping this in mind, a suggestion was 
made to return to volumetric commitments under t he Food Assistance Convention  (FAC) from the 
current system of commitments of FAC Parties in  nominal currency terms. Another suggestion put 
on the table was for the establishment of a comprehensive framework within the WTO, in 
collaboration with internatio nal and regional organizations such as the FAO, IFAD , and WFP, for 
better coordination and assessment of food aid requirements during emergencies. Concerns were 
also expressed about the existing level of transparency of global food aid shipments. Specific 
suggestions11 were made to remedy those transparency gaps, inter alia , by proposing consolidated 
information on food aid to be furnished using the Export Competition Questionnaire (ECQ) annexed 
to the Nairobi Ministerial Decision12 on Export Competition wh ich could additionally include 
information on the impact assessment of food aid programmes on local and regional production and 
market conditions in recipient countries/regions . Members also discussed the potential exemption of 
international food aid  from the application of customs duties  and other taxes by recipient 
governments. Several Members, including recipient Members, expressed support for the proposed 
duty exemption; a few Members emphasized the need to address the issue of possible discrimination 
related to the implementation of such duty exemptions.  
12.  The discussions showed that harmonization and simplification of cross -border trade and transit 
formalities, and recourse to digital tools for assessing conformity with regulatory requirements, could 
have an important positive role in reducing trade transaction costs and facilitating expedited 
clearance of commercial food imports and non -commercial food assistance transactions, and limiting 
food losses during transport and handling at customs. Members al so alluded to the positive role of 
regional trade integration and regional food and agricultural value chains in bolstering food security 
and resilience.  
13.   On the theme of 'financing of food imports' , Members considered: the agricultural and food 
financing challenges faced by governments, especially in LDCs and NFIDCs; policies and actions 
employed to deal with those challenges; and various suggestions to better address these financing 
challenges in the current food crisis as well as any such crises that mig ht occur in the future.  
Workshops and expert sessions organized under the work programme also assisted Members' 
deliberations on financing.  
 
11 RD/AG/119 . 
12 WT/MIN(15)/45 - WT/L/980 . G/AG/W/ 244 
 
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  14.   In the discussions, Members emphasized the need for a robust implementation of differential 
and more favourable tre atment afforded to LDC s and NFIDC Members in the area of export financing 
support under paragraph  17 of the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition . It was stressed that the 
providers of export financing support should reflect details on differential treatment offered to LDCs 
and NFIDCs, as applicable, in their annual ECQ responses. Some specific ideas were also presented 
to improve transparency in t his respect as contained in RD/AG/119 .  
15.  In view of an explicit focus on "access by  LDCs and NFIDCs to import finance and related import 
guarantees/credits " under the agreed work programme, Members  also examined the issue of import 
finance and  the possible role  of importing governments or government -backed agencies in such 
financing transactions.  The issue of foreign exchange shortage faced by importing developing 
countries and settling international trade transactions in local currencies, including through curr ency 
swaps, also came up in the discussions. Several Members sought to encourage importing 
governments, governmental agencies, and international and regional financial institutions to provide 
adequate finance or guarantees to facilitate food import financi ng especially  in times of food 
instability and emergencies. Some Members also favoured the idea of acknowledging that financing 
or risk coverage provided by importing governments or governmental agencies to facilitate food 
imports may not be restricted by the WTO rules or prohibited , as long as the concerned importing 
governments do not impose any export contingency or local content requirement s on beneficiary 
importers.  Some others did not favour this interpretative exercise  under the work programme.  
16.  LDC and NFIDC Members also raised the issue of availability of financial resources, as well as 
the terms and conditions to access those resources in order to be able to import foodstuffs 
commercially from the international market. These Members emphasized the need for international 
mechanisms to assure the availability of foreign currency and access to dedicated financing facilities . 
In this context, a reference was made to the recent technical proposal by the FAO for a 'food import 
financing facility (FIFF) '13 as well as to the idea of a 'revolving fund' proposed14 by a group of NFIDC 
Members some two decades ago in the CoA. A group of developing Members proposed the c reation 
of a credit guarantee facility for LDCs and NFIDCs  by regional or international financial institutions 
to provide the necessary credit guarantees for  the public sector in financially restrained poor 
countries to enter into futures and options contracts for the importation of basic foodstuffs. Members 
in the discussions also referred to the new food shock window established by the IMF in 
September  2022 under its  emergency financing instruments  and which was also presented to the 
WTO Members in the margins of the November 2022 CoA meeting .15  
17.  Another specifi c suggestion made by a group of developing Members to address their financing 
challenges to acquire foodstuffs was to maintain a system of 'global food security stocks'  (GFSS) 
which could be used to meet the food needs of vulnerable countries especially du ring emergencies. 
These Members also proposed that relevant international organizations such as the FAO or the WFP, 
in collaboration with the WTO, could undertake the logistics of the GFSS.  Some other Members, 
however, raised doubts on the practical feasib ility of the proposed GFSS. Members also dwelt on 
how private and governmental institutions could best engage with one another on agricultural 
financing , and explored the issue of 'blended finance' whereby developing country governments 
facing financing co nstraints could draw on private sector finance and limit their role primarily to 
setting policy direction and priorities.  
18.  Several Members appreciated the challenges faced by LDCs and NFIDCs in  financing imports  of 
basic foodstuffs. Some Members suggested that the WTO should use its convening power to foster 
collaboration and coordination  with the relevant financial institutions  and share with them the report 
and findings of the ongoing work programme to sensitize them to the financing challenges faced by 
LDCs and NFIDCs in meeting food security needs. Some concrete suggestions were also made in the 
discussions to request the WTO Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance to examine s pecific 
concerns of LDCs and NFIDCs in the financing of food imports, especia lly during periods of food 
instability and emergencies .16 In this regard, Members also emphasized the importance of providing 
technical assistance and building the capacity of the domestic banking system and financial 
institutions operating in LDCs and NFI DCs to enable  these institutions to be better equipped to 
 
13 https://www.fao.org/3/cb9445en/cb9445en.pdf .  
14 G/AG/W/49/Add.1 . 
15 G/AG/GEN/211 . 
16 At the 6 June Expert Session on import finance ( ICN/AG/4 ), the Chairperson of the Working Group on 
Trade, Debt and Finance  briefed the CoA Working Group about the state of discu ssions at the Working Group.  G/AG/W/244  
 
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  provide trade finance, and to better benefit from financing facilities and guarantees offered by the 
private sector, regional and financial institutions, and exporting countries.  
19.  Under the third the me on "agricultural production and resilience of LDCs and NFIDCs ", 
prominent topics discussed included the role and relevance of WTO rules and flexibilities, especially 
in the pillar of domestic support, and the importance of technical and financial assistance. However, 
Members had different expectations on how the work programme should address the question of 
WTO rules.  
20.  A group of developing Members, including LDCs and NFIDCs, considered the  current WTO 
agriculture rules, having been written in an era of surplus production and declining prices, to be not 
appropriate in th e current environment of soaring prices, price volatility, and supply chain 
disruptions. These  Members advocated the need for explor ing additional mechanisms  and flexibilit ies 
to deal with food emergency situations , including specifically the possibility of enabling them 
temporarily to provide product -specific support in excess of the de minimis  limit, and having 
appropriate flexibilities under the WTO disciplines on export competition, including those resulting 
from the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition, in order to permit the sale of public stockholding 
(PSH) food stocks below market prices upon request from LDCs and NFIDCs. Some other Members 
considered that any discu ssion on additional flexibilities fell outside the domain of the Committee on 
Agriculture  and the current work programme . Some of these Member s also believed that a 
consideration of flexibilities for NFIDCs at the appropriate forum would necessitate a  review of the 
current NFIDC list  by the CoA  in accordance with paragraph 3 of G/AG/3  and establishment of an 
appropriate graduation mechanism  based on suitable criteria, including the share of a Member in 
global exports of specific agricultural products. Some NFIDC Membe rs, however, considered this 
matter to be beyond the mandate of the work programme and raised doubts on the feasibility of the 
proposed graduation exercise in the absence of any agreed methodological guidance and 
parameters. Some Members also pointed out t hat based on their experience, the main challenges 
the producers in the field faced in enhancing productivity and resilience included the need for 
adequate investment in research and technology, provision of science -based regulatory food safety 
infrastruct ure, and adequate access to agricultural inputs and robust public services, including 
extension services, rather than additional flexibility under WTO rules on agricultural subsidization.  
21.  As regards WTO rules, there was also a general appreciation among M embers that the existing 
flexibilities and framework of rules under Annex 2 and Article 6.2 of the Agreement on Agriculture 
could be effective in channelling governmental financial interventions for measures towards 
enhancing the agricultural productivity and resilience of agricultural producers, in particularly of 
small -holder producers. A group of developing Members also underlined that the lack of agricultural 
investment in several developing countries did not stem from limitations under the WTO domestic  
support rules but rather from their own domestic budgetary constraints.  
22.  The issue s of technical and financial assistance, and capacity building also came up prominently 
in the discussions under this theme. Members emphasized that they needed both long -term 
development assistance and emergency -oriented mechanisms to effectively address the 
multifaceted dimensions of food security. A group of developing Members felt that the follow -up to 
the Marrakesh Decision could be a catalyst to revers ing what they char acterized as the  long-term 
downward trend in the overseas development assistance (ODA) allocated to agriculture. It was also 
noted that assistance should be comprehensive to address needs along the supply chain, including 
assistance with new technologies r elated to production of basic foodstuffs, and assistance with the 
processing, storage and marketing of agricultural commodities. Members also highlighted that LDCs 
and NFIDCs need assistance addressing supply -side bottlenecks related to trade and transit 
formalities.  
23.  In view of the impact of climate change on the entire food and agricultural value chain, Members 
emphasized the need to invest in climate -resilient agricultural development and adaptation, 
including in the context of Aid for Trade (A4T)  and the implementation of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement (TFA) . Several also emphasized the importance of technology transfer and knowledge 
cooperation across countries and regions. Some specific written suggestions were made 
in RD/AG/119  with a view to imp roving the existing NF:1 notification format in respect of technical 
and financial assistance in order for it to include, inter alia , the details of impact assessments of 
technical and financial assistance programmes which seek to improve the agricultural productivity 
and infrastructure  of LDCs and NFIDCs. Similarly, some Members suggested assisting LDCs and G/AG/W/ 244 
 
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  NFIDCs in outlining upfront their technical and financial assistance needs so that donor Members 
could better address these under their agricultural de velopmental and assistance programmes.  
24.  Under " horizontal issues ", the major thrust of the discussions remained on fostering 
cooperation among intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). Some aspects of this proposed 
cooperation had already been covered under other themes, especially on financing. Another 
important focus area for collaboration with IGOs dealt with strengthening regional and global market 
intelligence and surveillance  to make information more accessible on production, prices, stocks and 
trade to  better inform governments ' policy response s. Members also acknowledged the positive 
contribution of the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) to enhance market transparency 
and policy responses for food security. A group of Members suggested that AMIS could establish 
links with regional trade institutions. Some Members, however, did not favour creating additional 
institutional structures or entities for furthering this collaboration and suggested instead using and 
strengthening the existing institu tional collaboration between the WTO and other IGOs within the 
setup of CoA observership.  
3  FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS  
25.  In the light of discussions under the work programme, the following recommendations are 
proposed for approval.  
3.1  Access to international food markets  
i. Members acknowledge the importance of open and predictable agricultural and input s 
markets in supporting global food security and in strengthening the resilience o f LDCs 
and NFIDCs , enabling them to  meet their food needs through domestic production and 
international trade during periods of food instability and scarcity in domestic markets. 
Without in any way qualifying the potential contribution of the agricultural reform 
process and trade liberalization, Members recognize that , during periods of food 
scarcity, importing Members may lower import tariffs on food stuffs, insofar as they 
deem  this to be  appropriate , and that WTO rules also provide the option to open 
autonomous tariff quotas in a non -discriminatory manner to import desi red additional 
quantit ies of food at a lower or zero tariff to supplement domestic supplies, while 
maintaining the generally applicable MFN tariff on the concerned products , consistent 
with WTO  rules.  
ii. Members underline the importance of applying export restrictions on foodstuffs 
pursuant to GATT Article  XI:2(a) in a transparent and predictable manner in 
accordance with Article  12 of the Agreement on Agriculture as per the requirements 
and formats in G/AG/2 . Recognizing that a broad range of measures, includi ng 
complete export prohibition, could be employed to limit exports of foodstuffs consistent 
with WTO rules, Members underscore  the need for ensuring that the measure chosen 
is aligned with their domestic food needs . A Member imposing export prohibitions an d 
restrictions on foodstuffs may voluntarily explore practical, WTO -consistent means to 
lessen the effect of such measures on importing countries, particularly LDCs 
and NFIDCs, in response to specific requests from Members having a substantial 
interest as an importer.  
iii. Consistent with the recommendations on food aid approved by the Doha Ministerial 
Conference,17 WTO food aid donor Members  renew their determination to maintain, to 
the maximum extent possible, their levels of food aid during increased world p rices of 
basic foodstuffs , including  in their capacity as Parties to the Food Assistance 
Convention, within the framework of their 'minimum annual commitment' under the 
Convention.  
iv. International food aid recipient Members, consistent with their domestic laws and 
regulations, agree to explore all possible means to minimize the operational cost of 
international food aid transactions, including by exempt ing, on an MFN basis and in a 
 
17 Paragraph 2.2 of WT/MIN(01)/17 . G/AG/W/244  
 
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  transparent manner , food aid consignments from the imposition of import dutie s and, 
to the extent practicable, from other taxes and levies .  
v. Members attach priority  to work towards reducing the time and procedural costs 
related to the importation of food and agricultural inputs, including for non -commercial 
international food aid transactions, within the framework of the Agreement on Trade 
Facilitation. Members also agree to increasingly rely on and recognize, whenever 
practicable, electronic documents and certification for trade procedures to enhance the 
safety and efficiency of compliance and expedite the clearance of such goods.  In this 
regard, Members  also acknowledge the need for assistance and support for capacity 
building for developing countries, particularly in LDCs and NFIDCs.  
3.2  Financing of food impor ts  
i. The Committee draws  the attention of the WTO Working Group on Trade, Debt and 
Finance  (WGTDF) to the discussions held under the work programme on the theme of 
'financing for food imports' reported in section  2 of this report , and request s it to 
underta ke, in line with its mandate,  a targeted examination of specific concerns raised 
by LDCs and NFIDCs in relation to the financing of food imports, and in particular 
challenges associated in doing so during periods of food instability and emergencies. 
The WG TDF should share its report and findings with the Committee as soon as 
practicable.  
ii. The Committee emphasizes the need for enhanced transparency of the implementation 
of the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition for differential and favourable treatment 
of LDCs and NFIDCs on export credits, export credit guarantees or insurance 
programmes ('export financing support') and international food aid, and welcomes the 
ongoing discussions in the Committee related to  export competition notification  
requirements and  formats . The Committee agrees to review, within its third triennial 
review of the Nairobi Decision due in 2024,  based on existing18 and future submissions 
by Members, the content of the ECQ with a view to enhancing the transparency of 
international food a id shipments and export financing support in favour of LDCs and 
NFIDCs.  
3.3  Agricultural and production resilience of LDCs and NFIDCs  
i. Members reaffirm the importan t role and benefits of agricultural research and 
innovation, rural infrastructure, extension ne tworks, early warning systems, 
science -based food safety and quarantine frameworks, availability of high -quality plant 
varieties and seeds, boosting agricultural investment, including for climatic adaptation 
and mitigation , and risk -management tools to enh ance the agricultural productivity 
and resilience of agricultural producers, particularly small -holder producers. Members 
recognize that governmental support and expenditure falling within the scope of, and 
applied consistently with, Annex 2 and Article 6. 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture, 
could be suitably designed to implement such measures towards enhanced agricultural 
productivity and resilience of developing countries, including LDCs and NFIDCs.  
ii. Members acknowledge LDC and NFIDC Members' heavy relianc e on international 
markets for their food consumption needs , putting  them in a particularly  vulnerable 
situation in coping with global food price shocks and volatility, including through their 
transmission and spill -over to domestic food price inflation an d volatility. The 
Committee on Agriculture shall examine sympathetic ally specific and motivated 
concerns raised by LDCs and NFIDCs with regard to their ability to abide by their 
domestic support commitments due to excessive rates of inflation in line with 
Article  18.4 of the Agreement on Agriculture. Accordingly, an LDC or NFIDC Member 
not complying with its domestic support commitments due to the effects of excessive 
inflation and seeking consideration under Article 18.4, is advised to consider following 
the practical suggestion to submit19 the relevant domestic support tables concurrently 
 
18 RD/AG/119 . 
19 It is acknowledged that there are no specific instructions or guidelines in G/AG/2  for the submission of 
domestic support tables on unadjusted and an inflation -adjusted basis . A concerned LDC or NFIDC Member under G/AG/W/ 244 
 
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  on both an unadjusted and an inflation -adjusted basis for the consideration of the 
Committee in accordance with the recommendations20 contained in paragraph  43 
of G/AG/W/45 . 
iii. The Secretariat should provide technical assistance, upon request, to LDCs and NFIDCs 
to facilitate their fuller participation in  the Committee's monitoring of the 
implementation of the Marrakesh Decision , including in relation to their presentation 
of requests for the provision of technical and financial assistance within the framework 
of paragraph  3 (iii) of the Decision.  
iv. The Committee, within its monitoring of the implementation of the Marrakesh Decision, 
agrees to review, based on existing21 and future  submissions by Members, the NF:1 
format with a view to enhancing the transparency of technical and financial assistance 
in favour of LDCs and NFIDCs.  
v. Under the Aid -for-Trade (AFT) initiative, Members agree to examine how AFT financing 
could be directed t o improve agricultural productivity and infrastructure, including 
science -based regulatory and food safety infrastructure, and augmenting agricultural 
support towards climate mitigation and adaptation  objectives . In doing so, Members 
agree to put more focu s on promoting resilience and strengthening food security in 
developing countries, especially the LDCs and NFIDCs. Technical and financial 
assistance needs identified by LDCs and NFIDCs under paragraph  3 (iii) of the 
Marrakesh Decision should inform this e xamination under the AFT initiative.  
3.4  Horizontal issues   
i. Within its institutional framework on observership22, the Committee welcomes  
collaboration among international organizations , for an effective implementation of the 
Marrakesh Decision and a coordinat ed rapid response to food insecurity  while 
recognizing each other's respective mandates, roles and added values.  Specific efforts 
should also be made to enhance collaboration with international and regional financial 
institutions within the framework of th e implementation of the Marrakesh Decision.  
ii. The Committee welcomes the collaboration between the WTO Secretariat and other 
relevant international organizations, including AMIS partners, aimed at enhancing 
trade and market intelligence and transparency in respect of key foodstuffs and 
agricultural inputs to inform government's food security policy response . The 
Committee invites the AMIS Secretariat to explore ways to strengthen links with 
regional economic cooperation institutions to gather timely and reli able food market 
data, analyze and disseminate this information and provide timely alerts to the 
international community.  
 
_______________  
 
 
 
this paragraph will have the choice and flexibility in presenting this information in its annual Table  DS:1 
notification.  
20 Paragraph 14 of G/AG/R/20 . 
21 RD/AG/119 . 
22 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization  (FAO), United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development  (UNCTAD), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development  (OECD), United Nations 
World Food Programme  (WFP), International Grains Council  (IGC), Inter -American Institute for Agricultural 
Cooperation  (IICA) , International Monetary Fund  (IMF), and the World Bank. The Committee may agree to 
invite other relevant international organizations, such as International Fund for Agricultural 
Development  (IFAD), to its deliberations, as necessary.  G/AG/W/ 244 
 
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  ANNEX 1  
CHRONOLOGY OF DISCUSSIONS AND PROGRESS MADE UNDER THE WORK PROGRAMME  
Dates  Meetings/consultations  Actions/progress made  
17 June 2022 Twelfth Session  of the Ministerial 
Conference ( MC-12) Adoption of the Declaration on food insecurity 
(WT/MIN(22)/28 - WT/L/1139 ); Paragraph 8 of the 
Declaration sets up a dedicated Work programme 
under the Committee on Agriculture.  
June-July 2022 Informal CoA (27 June)  
Formal CoA (27 -28 June)  
Chair consultations (July)  Convergence among Members to deal with the 
matter under a standing item under the agenda 
item on 'Implementation  of Ministerial outcomes' of 
the regular session of the Committee on 
Agriculture.  
September  2022 Informal CoA (14 September)  
Formal CoA (14-15 September)  - Work Programme considered under the agenda 
item on 'Implementation of Ministerial outcomes'.  
- Presentation of written submission by Paraguay 
(G/AG/W/223 ) and Egypt ( G/AG/W/224 ). 
- Secretariat was requested to prepare a note 
compiling LDC and NFIDC flexibilities in 
agriculture.  
October 2022 Informal  CoA (11 and 27 October)  - Members reached understanding that the Work 
programme would be developed in an open and 
flexible manner , allowing any interested Member 
to contribute; relevant international organizations 
may be invited to support the discussion; 
technical workshops may be organized on specific 
themes.  
- Secretariat presented the background note on 
"Treatment of LDCs and NFID Cs under WTO 
Agriculture Rules" in RD/AG/9 4 dated 
4 October  2022.  
- Chile, in collaboration with the Secretariat and 
other delegations, organized a technical workshop 
on fertilizers on 11 October 2022.  
- Presentation of written submission by the LDC 
Group in G/AG/W/225  dated 26 October 2022.  
November  2022 Chair consultations  (14 November) 
Informal  CoA (21  November)  
Formal CoA (21 -22 November)  - Presentation of the new Food Shock Window by 
the IMF on 22 November.  
- Approval of the revised draft thematic outline and 
working methods in RD/AG/97 ; approved version 
released in G/AG/35  dated 23  November 2022.  
December 2022  1st meeting  of the Working Group 7 
December 2022  - Secretariat note on discussions and progress 
made ( RD/AG/100 ). 
- Revised Secretariat note on LDC and NFIDC 
flexibilities ( G/AG/W/227 ). 
- Elaboration of the first questionnaire on 
challenges faced by LDCs and NFIDCs in the 
implementation and utilization of existing 
flexibilities ( G/AG/GEN/214 ); Members invited to 
submit responses by 3 February 2023.  
February -March  2023 Workshop on Financing, 
28 February 2023  
2nd meeting of the Working Group, 
1 March 2023  
 
Formal CoA (27 -28 March)  - Programme of the workshop released in 
G/AG/GEN/216 ; presentations accessible here.  
- Secretariat circulated a compilation of Members' 
responses to the Questionnaire in RD/AG/103 ; 
Secretariat's presentation on the compilation in 
RD/AG/104 . 
- Secretariat set up a webpage  dedicated to the 
Paragraph 8 Work Programme hosting relevant 
documents and other details thereon.  G/AG/W/ 244 
 
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  CHRONOLOGY OF DISCUSSIONS AND PROGRESS MADE UNDER THE WORK PROGRAMME  
Dates  Meetings/consultations  Actions/progress made  
April 2023  Workshop on Agricultural and 
Production Resilience, 12 April  
3rd meeting of the Working Group, 
17 April  - Programm e of the productivity workshop released 
in G/AG/GEN/219 ; presentations accessible here. 
- Agenda of the 3rd Working Group  meeting in 
ICN/AG/1 . 
- Statement by Sri Lanka on agricultural import 
financing in RD/AG/107 . 
- WG Coordinator speaking points on the Workshop 
on Financing in RD/AG/105 . 
- Discussion on export and import finance and the 
treatment of international food aid at customs; 
Secretariat presentation in RD/AG/106 . 
June 2023 Expert Session on Import Finance, 
6 June  
4th meeting of the Working Group, 
8 June  
Formal CoA (27 -28 June)  - Agenda of the 4th Working Group meeting in 
ICN/AG/3 . 
- Programme of the expert session released in 
ICN/AG/4 ; presentations accessible here.  
- Secretariat presented on the new launch of WTO 
data portal regarding grain shipments.  
July 2023 5th meeting of the Working Group; 
Workshop  on "High Yield Grain 
Seed Development and 
Revitalization of Green Revolution" 
19 July  - Release of Coordinator's report in RD/AG/113  
dated 3  July 2023. Subsequently released  in the 
G/AG/ series as G/AG/W/240 .  
- Agenda of the 5th Working Group meeting in 
ICN/AG/6 . 
- written submissions respectively by Egypt and the 
ACP Group in RD/AG/114  and RD/AG/115 . 
- Presentations made at the 19 July workshop are 
accessible  here.   
September  2023 6th meeting  of the Working Group, 
21 September;  - Agenda of the 6th Working Group meeting in 
ICN/AG/7 . 
October 2023 7th meeting of the Working Group, 
31 October  - Submission on transparency improvements by 
Egypt in RD/AG/119 . 
- Release of Coordinator's revised report in 
RD/AG/120 . 
- Agenda of the 7th Working Group meeting in 
ICN/AG/9 . 
November 2023  8th meeting of the Working Group, 
13 November, reconvened on 
20 November  
 
Informal  and formal CoA, 
(27-29 November)  - Agenda of the 8th Working Group meeting in 
ICN/AG/10 . 
- Release of Coordinator's revised report in 
RD/AG/120/Rev.1  and RD/AG/120/Rev.2 . 
- The conclusion of the Working Group.  
- Lack of complete consensus as one Member raised 
concerns on some elements in the draft report by 
the coordinator. The Chairperson expressed 
readiness to convene a special  meeting of the 
Committee to finalize the report and 
recommendations once there would be a 
consensus among Members to do so.  
17 April 2024 Special meeting  of CoA  - Finalization of the report of the work programme  
 
 
__________  