WTO members expressed disappointment at the lack of a conclusive outcome from agriculture negotiations during MC13. However, progress was acknowledged by the Chair, who emphasized that discarding past efforts would not be beneficial.
Brazil presented its views on revitalizing talks, proposing discussions across all agricultural negotiation topics simultaneously. This proposal is based on the Abu Dhabi Draft Text on Agriculture, which is a revised version of the Chair's text before MC13. The key issue remains whether to establish a permanent solution for developing economies facing challenges in purchasing food at government-set prices or to address this alongside other unresolved topics before MC14.
Several negotiators supported Brazil's initiative and urged building upon existing progress. Some backed Brazil’s call for a General Council decision in July, while others pushed for immediate discussions on unresolved issues. There was also debate over whether to focus comprehensively or prioritize top concerns like public stock purchases.
The Cotton-4 countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali—highlighted the need to address distortions in global cotton markets urgently.
While many members favored resuming text-based negotiations, some called for more consultations to explore new ideas. Opinions varied on whether parallel work should occur within both the General Council and the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session or if the latter should remain central.
The Chair thanked participants for their input and promised to consider the best path forward.
The WTO’s agriculture negotiations cover domestic support, market access, export competition and restrictions, cotton issues, public stockholding for food security purposes, special safeguard mechanisms, and transparency concerns.
For further information about WTO agriculture negotiations: WTO | Agriculture — negotiations
A glossary of terms related to these negotiations can be found here: WTO | Glossary by Subject
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