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WTO and a permanent solution for food security: striving for a hunger-free world

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  • Sachin Kumar Sharma

    (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade)

  • Ahamed Ashiq Shajahan

    (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade)

Abstract

Food security at the WTO remains one of the significant unaddressed demands of the developing country members. The Agreement on Agriculture has restricted the flexibility of the developing country members to administer price support backed public stockholding programmes for food security purposes, mainly due to the Amber box limit and the methodology for calculating market price support. Despite many deliberations and Ministerial mandates, no concrete solution has been found. The only option available to the developing country members is the Bali Decision on public stockholding, which is limited in product and programme coverage. For a permanent solution, this paper examines the options of addressing the flaws in the market price support calculation methodology through (a) consideration of inflation, (b) moving external reference price, (c) notifying in stronger currency, and (d) increasing the de minimis limit. Further, a solution based on the Bali peace clause has also been analysed. The paper finds that a ‘one glove fits all’ is not an appropriate approach for a permanent solution. Instead, multiple options or a combination of options should be made available according to the agricultural conditionalities of the members.

Suggested Citation

  • Sachin Kumar Sharma & Ahamed Ashiq Shajahan, 2024. "WTO and a permanent solution for food security: striving for a hunger-free world," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(2), pages 321-337, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:16:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s12571-023-01426-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-023-01426-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Williams,Jeffrey C. & Wright,Brian D., 2005. "Storage and Commodity Markets," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521023399, June.
    2. Anne Marie Thow & Sachin Kumar Sharma & Cut Novianti Rachmi, 2019. "An analysis of Indonesia’s shrinking food security policy space under the WTO," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(6), pages 1275-1287, December.
    3. Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio, 2014. "On food security stocks, peace clauses, and permanent solutions after Bali," IFPRI discussion papers 1388, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Galtier, F., 2015. "Identifying, estimating and correcting the biases in WTO rules on public stocks. A proposal for the post-Bali food security agenda," Working Papers MoISA 201505, UMR MoISA : Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (social and nutritional sciences): CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, L'Institut Agro, Montpellier SupAgro, IRD - Montpellier, France.
    5. World Bank, 2012. "Using Public Food Grain Stocks to Enhance Food Security," World Bank Publications - Reports 11878, The World Bank Group.
    6. Nakuja, Tekuni & Kerr, William A., 2019. "International Trade And Food Security: Can Public Stockholding Be Dismissed?," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 7(2), April.
    7. Sachin Kumar Sharma, 2016. "The WTO and Food Security," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-981-10-2179-4, March.
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