New Delhi: India will throw to find a permanent solution for public stock problems for the purpose of food security in the internal meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, starting from November 30, an official said.
The official expressed hope that “something to come” in share ownership and domestic support, which is part of negotiations in the agricultural sector, at the 12th ministerial conference, which is the highest decision-making body of 164 WTO members.
The four-day Minister’s Conference will begin on November 30.
“Now the 12th meeting is approaching, a number of submissions are made in the WTO to advance negotiations on agriculture.
India along with G33 (groups of state) has been involved.
In achieving a permanent solution for public share ownership issues,” said government officials.
The official added that public shareholders (PSH) must be for India because they have a mandate, which returns a long period of time and India will throw for it.
Finding a permanent solution to the problem of public food stocks related to the survival of 800 million hungry people throughout the world.
Under the global trade norm, the Bill of Food Subsidies for WTO members should not violate the 10 percent limit of the production value based on the reference price of 1986-88.
Explaining that the full implementation of the Food Security Program can cause a violation of the WTO CAP, India has been seeking amendments in the formula to calculate the cost of the food subsidy.
As a temporary step, the WTO member at the Minister of Bali Meeting in December 2013 has agreed to place a popular mechanism called a peace clause and committed to negotiating an agreement for a permanent solution at the 11th minister’s meeting in Buenos Aires.
Under the peace clause, WTO members agreed to refrain from challenging violations in the ceiling determined by developing countries in the WTO dispute settlement forum.
This clause will be there until a permanent solution is found in the problem of food stockpiling.
India has requested clauses in 2018-19 (13 percent) and 2019-20 (11 percent) for violating subsidized hats for rice.
The current discourse in agricultural negotiations in the WTO includes advanced members who are looking for developing countries to take additional commitments in terms of increasing market access, reducing policy space through reduction of domestic support.
India also sponsored the G33 proposal for a permanent solution to PSH for the purpose of food security at the WTO on September 15.
Chairman of the Agriculture Committee – The WTO special session has produced a draft text on the PSH for the 12th minister’s conference where two options have been proposed including to continue negotiations on PSH outside the 12th meeting.
India has not agreed to these options, the official said.
Seven areas of negotiations under agriculture are domestic support, market access, export competition, export restrictions, cotton, special protection mechanism, public share ownership for the purpose and transparency of food security.